Meet Our Step Challenge Spokesperson: Kaylee Kirsch

Hey there! I’m Kaylee (right) and I’ll be helping as a spokesperson for the SparkPittsburgh Step Challenge. When I’m not working as the Marketing Manager at Babb, Inc., I enjoy spending my free time with my roommates, my family, reading (Thoreau is a personal fav), or attending events happening around the city.

 

I also enjoy being active, whether that means an evening at the gym weight lifting, sweating it out in the A.M. at an Urban Elements’ cycling and yoga class, or taking on my favorite workout by running at one of Pittsburgh’s scenic parks.

 

I wasn’t always so active. If I’m being honest, growing up I was the kid that would fake sick just so they could get out of gym class. However, my lifestyle changed after I graduated from my undergrad program. I began going to the gym with friends in an effort to lose the additional weight I had put on while in school (those late nights at the college-town watering hole tend to catch up with you over time).

 

After a while I found myself bored of the gym and wanted more of challenge. On a whim, I decided to sign up for the Pittsburgh Half Marathon. When I first started, running a mile was a challenge but I stuck with it and continued to run, adding miles to my training every so often. After months and months of training, race day came and I finished the half in two hours and twenty minutes. That was two years ago and to this day, I still run.

 

What started out only as a challenge and a way to lose a few extra pounds, has become an important aspect of my life. I suppose part of the reason I decided to run or even bothered to stick with it, was simply to prove to myself that I could. I now run because I physically feel better, have an easier time focusing, have more energy, sleep better, and I am happier. Over the past two years, I’ve made additional adjustments to my lifestyle. I have seen firsthand, how making lifestyle adjustments can have a positive impact on a person’s overall well-being.

 

As I prepare for my third half marathon, I look forward to participating in the SparkPittsburgh Step Challenge. I hope that this challenge will keep me motivated with my training, but more importantly I hope that I can help to inspire some of you to keep moving along the way!

 

Happy stepping!

– Kaylee