Liz Ferro named Body Positive Role Model of the month for June

Colleen Fitzgibbons, Blogger and budding Author, named Liz as June’s Body Positive Role Model of the Month in a ‘My Marathon 2 Recovery’ Blog post.

Check it out!

Body Positive Role Model of the Month

Every month I will dedicate a post to a person who is a true Body Positive Role Model, whether it be a singer, actress/actor, model, athlete, or even someone in my life!
JUNE 2013

LIZ FERRO

June’s Body Positive Role Model is the one, the only, Liz Ferro! Liz is one of the most amazing women I’ve ever met. She is a great role model for young girls (and people in general) and an inspiration to so many, including me.I recently read her book, Finish Line Feeling. This is by far my favorite memoir I’v e ever read! It’s about Liz’s journey from being a foster child and sexual abuse survivor to founder of the nationally recognized running organization, Girls with Sole. Liz describes throughout her memoir how athletics basically saved her life – sports helped her find joy and fulfillment in life whilst also forming her into the strong, confident, inspirational woman she is today. Her story is heartbreaking but also uplifting, and you’ll also be sure to find yourself laughing out loud through her wittiness and humor.The main reason for choosing Liz as June’s BPRM is what she promotes and does for young girls. She wanted to start an organization to help at-risk girls who may have experienced abuse of any kind through her love of athletics. She wanted the girls to experience the “finish line feeling.” That euphoria one experiences have crossing the finish line of 5K, triathlon, or Ironman. And that she has.

Girls with Sole Mission:
Use free fitness and wellness programs to empower the minds, bodies and souls of girls who are at-risk or have experienced abuse of any kind.

Girls with Sole Vision:
Our vision is a world where every girl thinks of herself as an athlete- and is inspired and nurtured in mind, body and soul- to achieve her fullest potential and inner most success.

A couple of weekends ago, I ran in the 3rd Annual Girls with Sole LULA 5K. LULA stands for  Lacing Up for a Lifetime of Achievement. I was the 500th person to “like” the Facebook page and won a free race entry! I am so glad I won the race entry – not to have a free race entry, but because I got to run in an amazing event for an even more amazing cause… It was so heartwarming to see the excitement on those young girls’ face before their first 5K, and even more so to see them cross the finish line and experience, as Liz would say, that “finish line feeling.” Liz signed my book for me (I had finished it the night before the race), and the first thing she said was, “You read it and you’re still acting like you like me!” No Liz, I don’t like you, I LOVE you! I LOVED the realness of her book and for sharing her story with the world. She is the recipient of both the 2011 Classic Woman Award from Traditional Home Magazine and the American Red Cross of Greater Cleveland Hero Award. Girls With Sole has been featured in Ohio Magazine, Runner’s World Magazine, and CBC Magazine. Liz is a mom, wife, motivational speaker and author.Among all her amazing achievements is her athletic ones. According to her book, to date Liz has completed sixteen marathons (two of them 50K Ultras), four Iron-distance triathlons and countless road races and triathlons.THANK YOU, LIZ FOR ALL YOU DO – KEEP MOVING FORWARD! <