Meet Shirl Kohl-Martin
Shirl Kohl-Martin, 40
In 1997, Shirl trained for her first 25K Fifth Third River Bank Run. At mile 14, she realized she would not finish the race in the allotted three hours to receive a finisher medal. In her disappointment, she began walking for a while but then picked up the pace again, reminding herself she was running for herself and the memory of her daughter, who she lost two weeks after birth due to a birth defect.
A fellow runner, walking on the side lines, cheered her on. Shirl responded with, “But I won’t get a medal”. The other runner took her medal off and hung it around Shirl’s neck replying, “You deserve this medal, go finish the race”. Shirl wants to run the ‘08 race to help encourage fellow runners and pass her medal to another who may be experiencing the disappointment she almost experienced in 1997.
