Narrative Medicine Project

Throughout our conversation, my interviewee reflected back on his experiences on Students Run Philly Style, an organization that “transforms student’s lives through running and mentorship”. Now serving as an employee of the organization, my interviewee shedded light on what it was like to be a student of the organization and what it now means to serve as an employee. When asked why he joined the running organization, he talked about how he lived in an area a little further away from the city, but joined the program to get to know people from his school and develop relationships. He talked about his favorite aspect of the program being the downtime before and after running. He valued forming bonds with the other student runners and leaders from around the Philadelphia area and stated there was something about being in the same boat and facing similar challenges that brought the students closer together. My interviewee talked about how though this program centered around running, it provided him the motivation to try other things at school, such as the musical theater and becoming the anchor of his high school TV program. When asked about his biggest accomplishments with SRPS, he stated it was the ability to build relationships with the people around him. He mentioned running helped him become more social, build more confidence, and take more risks of trying to build relationships with others. After graduating from high school, he heard about an internship opportunity with SRPS, connected with old running leaders, and eventually interned with SRPS. This internship later evolved into employment with the organization. Looking back at his time working at the organization, he mentioned he found joy in facilitating events that brought student runners from around Philadelphia closer together. He stated he feels accomplished when he sees students who don’t know each other form bonds with one another. When asked about the program today, he mentioned how the program has evolved into a program that attracts everyone and how it has become an inclusive community for all people. When asked what the program meant to him, he said “to me, Students Run Philly Style means family”