"We're military spouses, we're runners, we're Stroller Warriors." That is the slogan for a new spouses support group, a running club on Fort Riley.
The Fort Riley Stroller Warriors chapter had their first workout last October, according to Christie Langevin, Fort Riley coordinator and founder.
"Within that first week we had 100 members on our Facebook page," Langevin said. "We had 14 at our first workout. Some were people I had run with before. Some, like Jessica (Rodriguez, wife of Capt. Christopher Rodriquez, Company C, 101st Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division), had never run before."
The Stroller Warriors was started at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, in 2010 by Stephanie Geraghty, wife of U.S. Marine. She ran competitively in high school and at the University of Kansas, according to the Stroller Warrior official webpage. The spouse running club now has a chapter at nearly 40 military installations in the U.S. and overseas.
"Over the years, I have ran my way through the births of my three children, deployments, PCS moves, and just regular, everyday life," Geraghty said on the Stroller Warrior site. "Training and running races provide(s) a positive source of focus and accomplishment, plus an effective outlet to balance the challenges military life presents. I believe that many problems can be solved and friendships can be nurtured just by heading out the door on a run."
Though Geraghty may be an experienced and accomplished runner, it is not a requirement for a runner to be like her to become a member of the group. Langevin was introduced to the group when her husband, Spc. John Langevin, 1st Engineer Battalion, 1st ABCT, 1st Inf. Div., was stationed at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center at Presidio, Monterrey, California, in 2015.
"I was pretty new to running at that point," Langevin said. "I had never run with anyone other than my husband so I thought this might be cool. From the very first workout it was wonderful to meet Army and military spouses. It was great for me to make friendships that way. Also for my kids to meet kids their age so they had kids to play with."
Despite the name and group logo, runners do not have to have a stroller or even a child to be a member. According to Langevin, members do need to have access to Fort Riley and have a running goal to be a member.
"The only requirement that we have is that you have goals for running because we are a running group," Langevin said. "Which is why we have the 'couch to 5k.' It is for people who may not have ever run before, or for people who have run but may kids and are now trying to get back into it. It is great because it is a run/walk program."
The group meets on Tuesday and Friday mornings for a run followed by short strengthening workout. The Tuesday workout is on post and the Friday workout is held in Manhattan. Typically the workout lasts from an hour to an hour-and-a-half. All workouts are held at a playground area.
"It is nice because other programs you can join and it may be free, but no children are allowed," Jessica Rodriguez said. "It is a time crunch, and then you have to find day care or a babysitter so it incurs another cost. To have this group, and be allowed to bring your kids, it is nice."
Rodriquez admits it can hard for her to make new friends, but the Stroller Warriors ensures she will meet other spouses that know what the military life is like.
"We are all in the military -- we are all in the same boat," Rodriguez said. "We know how it is with the busy lives and the kids. It just builds good camaraderie."
Rodriquez and her husband have been at Fort Riley for a few years and are expecting a move within the next year.
"If we go somewhere else, the first thing I will look for is if they have a Stroller Warriors," she said. "I will be kind of sad leaving this group, knowing I have jumped in and given it my all."
Stroller Warrior groups provide support for its members, but each chapter is encouraged to give back to their community through monthly events.
"Each month we have a global event," Langevin said. "In January we did Operation Gratitude. It is military, but it also for those that are first responders. For that we didn't do anything monetary, we posted about it so people could be aware of it. Then on that day we donated our miles to the group."
Operation Gratitude is a nonprofit organization that sends care packages to veterans, first responders and servicemembers. The group's next global event will support the American Red Cross.
"For the American Red Cross, going and giving blood is something easy to do," she said. "The Red Cross supports the military wonderfully. They are always there to help out. The global events aren't always about getting your money. We have not done that yet because we are still a small chapter. It is more about raising awareness of these groups out there that give to the military and community so we want to give back to them."
For more information about the Fort Riley Stroller Warriors, email strollerwarriorsfortriley@gmail.com.
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