She Ran 3,000 Miles for a Cause
Written by Corinne Garcia Tuesday, May 31 2011
Snapshot: Zoe Romano 
Take a baby carriage full of supplies, eight pair of running shoes, 3,000 miles of open road, and a cause you believe in, and that pretty much sums up Zoe Romano’s most recent adventure. In January, the 23-year-old amateur ultra-runner from Portland, Maine, hit the road, running 25 to 35 miles per day to achieve her goal of running across the country to raise $25,000 for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Finishing a month ahead of schedule, Romano crossed her personal finish line on May 7. She started in Huntington Beach, Calif., and ended in Charleston, S.C.
Womenetics: What was your motivation for this adventure?
Zoe Romano: I wanted to do something to help support an organization that I really love. I also love running and adventure, and this combines all three. I hoped that an enormous endeavor like this would drum up some enormous support.
Womenetics: Why the Boys & Girls Clubs?
Romano: I never went as a kid, but my Dad did, and I grew up listening to animated stories about his days at the club. It’s an organization that I truly admire because it gives kids a positive place to go and be kids: to play, study, and learn new things. It promotes character development, good citizenship, and the virtues of being a good leader.
Womenetics: What did it take to plan this trip?
Romano: It took a ton of planning. The first thing I did was buy an atlas, and that night I sat down and began planning my route. I figured out daily mileage, a general route, and where to start and end. After that, I organized the planning into several different categories: lodging, safety, media and PR, fundraising, and training. I wrote out a training schedule, I secured lodging using www.couchsurfing.org and connecting with friends and family, and I worked with my local club to organize fundraising.
I was lucky enough to have a lot of people who wanted to help, especially my mom and dad. They handled a lot of the safety and media. Some days were well planned, and others were spontaneous, but that’s what made it an adventure. You can plan and train religiously, but the success of an endeavor like this relies a lot on being able to react constructively to the unexpected and having one heck of a support team back home.
Womenetics: What was your typical day like on the road?
Romano: I would usually wake up around 7:30 a.m. and get started around 8 after a breakfast of oatmeal. I ran an average of 25 miles a day, six days a week, but once I hit Texas I started running 30 to 35 miles and taking a rest day every nine days. I would walk the first mile to warm up, run for an hour or so, walk for a couple minutes, and repeat. For the last three weeks, the weather was gorgeous and the landscapes were so lush. I would take breaks to enjoy the scenery.
I rigged a cooler onto my stroller with fresh fruit and Gatorade, and I always had electrolyte gels, gummies, jelly beans, and energy bars. I would be out on the road between five and eight hours, and at night I would stay with host families or at hotels that donated lodging. I’d eat whatever the hosts cooked up, so I got to try some interesting stuff: alligator ravioli, beer bread, fried okra, gumbo, and, of course, lots of steak in Texas. 
Womenetics: Can you tell me about some of the people you met along the way who stand out?
Romano: I met so many incredible people; that aspect of the trip turned out to be the most amazing and rewarding part. The people in Texas were incredibly kind and enthusiastic, but everyone was supportive and helped out in any way they could. Whenever I was on the news, people from that town would find me on the road to give a donation, shake my hand, or bring me Gatorade and food. That sort of kindness always put the biggest smile on my face.
I learned firsthand that this country is a far kinder land than we give it credit for. I did not have one negative experience. I will never forget the people I met or the quality of visits I had with each and every one of them.
I think our fear is often encouraged and our open trust and love are discouraged. We are taught that a stranger and his strange ways deserve our fear rather than our love. I was fortunate enough to have this opportunity, to be received with compassion and kindness town after town, and to come away understanding how good people are and how valuable a smile and a few kind words can be.
Womenetics: Were you nervous to be on the road unassisted?
Romano: There were very few times I felt unsafe. People were always looking out for me and asking if I needed help, so I always felt well taken care of. My parents faxed the police and sheriff’s departments in the counties I ran through, so lots of times they would send someone out to check on me. At different times my parents, a friend, and my brother came out to visit or bike alongside. But for the majority of the run it was just me and my stroller.
Womenetics: Did you visit Boys & Girls Clubs on the way?
Romano: I visited whenever I ran through a town that had a club. This was hands-down one of my favorite parts of the experience, visiting and talking to the kids, seeing their reactions, and hearing them talk about their own dreams.
Womenetics: What did you carry on your body and in the stroller?
Romano: In my stroller I had all my gear: tent, sleeping bag, clothing, spare pair of sneakers, my journal, a couple of books, a GPS device and satellite communicator (donated by DeLorme), and other safety and survival gear. First-aid kit, pepper spray, rope, water filter, and purification tablets.
On me, I kept a spare cell in my sports bra, which also tracked me in real time, $30 in my sneakers, and water purification tablets in a pocket. I also wore a bracelet with a small canister of pepper spray in it.
Womenetics: Any crazy weather experiences?
Romano: I had a few close calls with tornadoes. There was one day in Arkansas and another in Alabama when there were tornado watches, and I ended up taking unplanned rest days. Another time, I was two miles into a run when lightning struck the power lines about 50 feet ahead of me. I’ve never run so fast in my life. I made it to a gas station and holed up inside for an hour or so until the storm moved through.
Womenetics: How did you raise money, and are you close to reaching your goal?
Romano: Mostly through fundraising events and online donations made through my blog site and Facebook page. I’ve raised about $13,000, so I still haven’t reached my goal, but I hope to continue to work on it. Donations continue to come in now that I’ve achieved my goal and proved that I wasn’t just kidding around. I also hope to write a book, with a portion of the proceeds going to the clubs.
Womenetics: What did you learn from this experience?
Romano: The No. 1 thing I learned is that I can do anything. I’ve always believed this, and now I’m sure of it. After so much focus, commitment, and perseverance, I truly feel like I can chase down any dream I have; I just have to take the first steps. And I honestly believe this is true for each and every person. There’s nothing special about me. I was not born with extra lung capacity, more hours in my day, or an extra motivation gene. I’m just an ordinary person who managed to do something extraordinary. And I hope that if there is any one thing that the kids at the Boys & Girls Clubs, or my friends and family, or anyone who has come across my blog takes away from all of this, it’s exactly that: YOU CAN DO ANYTHING. Just get out there and make it happen.
Womenetics: Any advice for athletes who would like to do some kind of benefit like this?
Romano: Do it. Take it step-by-step. Start planning. It was the best thing I’ve ever done, and it didn’t matter what step I started with, or what my very first plans were. The important point is that I started and never looked back.
Corinne Garcia is a freelance writer and editor living with her husband and two young boys in Bozeman, Mont. She has also written for Women’s Adventure, Christian Science Monitor, Northwest Travel, Pregnancy, Fit Pregnancy, and Fit Parent.
