Audio By Carbonatix
Mina Samuels turns a tired old playground taunt into an empowering command in her book Run Like a Girl: How Strong Women Make Happy Lives. After discovering the power of running and other sports in her own life, Samuels interviewed nearly 100 female athletes — including Kim Walker, owner of the Outdoor Divas shops in Denver and Boulder — to find out what makes them tick and how they’re holding their own and creating new communities within traditionally male-dominated sports.
“This isn’t a book for or about women who run to make their butts look a little bit better,” Samuels says. “It’s about getting outdoors, living robust lives, staying healthy, setting challenges for yourself and building communities of strong, like-minded women. We grow up hearing all these disparaging remarks — you know, ‘run like a girl,’ ‘throw like a girl.’ But in my circle of friends and in these different communities I’ve encountered as an athlete and a writer, I’m seeing women everywhere embracing sports with all the enthusiasm and innocence of enjoyment that we have when we’re young, before we start hearing all these slights. I wanted to reclaim their expression for us.”
Samuels will give her Run Like a Girl presentation and read from the book tonight at 6 p.m. at Outdoor Divas, 2717 East Third Avenue in Cherry Creek, followed by a book signing and social mixer. Visit www.outdoordivas.com or call 303-320-3482.
Thu., Feb. 24, 6-8 p.m., 2011
