About the coach

Hi, my name is Mary Coulthurst. I’ve been a runner for as far back as I can recall. Running up and down our long driveway, running the loops at campgrounds in the summer, running down the hallway at home. Now, those distances weren’t always long, in fact, I competed in track and field through high school, and always as a sprinter. In college, I didn’t think I was “athlete” enough, to really be involved in those areas I loved so much. I did remain committed to staying fit and moving my body, but often through biking or the latest aerobics craze. When I was twenty-two and an intern teacher at Sehome High School, I ran as part of their Lake Padden Relay team. Our team qualified for the Master's Division. I was the youngest and the slowest. This was way more than a sprint. I graduated from WWU with a mathematics degree along with a teaching certificate and an Athletic Coaching minor. I later added an endorsement in K-12 Physical Education. With each teaching assignment I held, I coached track and field as well.

Many years have passed since those days and I have worked in several other areas which allowed me to be more available to my two boys as they grew. During this time, I found Fit School. I had the goal of meeting women who wanted to be active and to improve my ability to run a 5K. I met so many amazing women while with Fit School and I did get faster running further. Learning to pace myself better was an enormous gain. During my encounter with breast cancer in 2015, Fit School was like a lifeline to normalcy for me. I achieved my fastest timed mile during my days of radiation. That shocks the heck out of me, but I believe the community of women really pulled me through that tough time.

Well, my boys are now out of the house and I’ve taken the opportunity to bring running back into my work and volunteer life. I started by coaching GOTR for three seasons. The energy and enthusiasm of these young girls was contagious. I smile whenever I think about them. I also provided private coaching to two elite high school runners in their efforts to improve their 400-meter times. One ran for a college in Iowa and the other ran with the WWU track and field team. Their hard work inspired me, and I am honored to have coached them. I have also recently worked as an assistant track and field coach at Fairhaven Middle School. Bringing this joy into my work has enhanced my life and made me come alive in renewed ways!

For me, the arrival of the pandemic illuminated the value of a running/walking program for women in our community. This opportunity strengthened my belief that this is what I am meant to do. I look forward to being in the presence of amazing women helping to guide them as we strive for good health, connection, consistency, and improvement; encouraging each other all while in movement. How could it get any better than that?