The Southwest Portland runner and personal trainer has found personal liberation in running and training for races and wants to share the benefits with others.
PORTLAND, Ore. — We all have ways to deal with stress, but one Southwest Portland woman is on a mission to empower more people to take steps towards good mental health. is in charge of
To commemorate World Mental Health Day next week, Shoshana Gordon is recruiting participants for the Still I Run 5km race on October 10th.
Gordon is co-captain of the Greater Portland chapter of Still I Run. She transformed from a walker to a runner while dealing with a divorce and needing a way to de-stress.
“I stepped onto the sidewalk and felt the air in my face and smelled it,” Gordon said. “You can get a runner’s high, an exercise high.”
Ms Gordon hopes walkers and runners of all levels will be welcomed to take part in the race to help eliminate the stigma associated with mental health issues. She also encouraged attendees to bring their families and dogs.
“When my ADHD makes my head spin, my anxiety goes up, and I’m stressed out, going for a run, especially with my dog, always makes me feel so much better,” she said.
Gordon said running is like medicine for the soul, and Oregonians may be ready for a spoonful of running.
Oregon ranks 11th in the nation for worst mental health, based in part on the percentage of people who don’t have or have no access to mental health care, according to a study published by Forbes Advisor has been done.
The study claims that “nearly 1 in 5 U.S. adults experience a mental health condition each year, but many are dissatisfied with the current state of mental health treatment in the United States.” .
Gordon and the other participants in “I Still Run” believe that running can help people concentrate and relieve stress.
“Honestly, some of those are some of my best runs,” said Gordon’s running partner, Dardie Lane.
Gordon said there’s no need to worry if you’ve never run or don’t feel like you’re a runner. ;That’s your pace.”
The Greater Portland Chapter’s “Still I Run 5K” is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. to coincide with World Mental Health Day, Oct. 10. Runners converge on the Fanno Creek Trail on Southwest Oleson Road.
