Ep 76: The Struggle from Within - Running, Resilience, & Mental Health, with Qwazir James and Coach Michelle Quirk of Mindful Marathon

About this episode

Qwazir James shares his powerful story of resilience and mental health through running in a candid conversation with host Michelle Quirk.

Last year, I had the privilege of interviewing Qwazir James, as part of our Podcasthon episode featuring Students Run Philly Style. At the time, he was already thoughtful, driven, and deeply committed to running. This year, he came back on the podcast with something even more powerful: his story. Qwazir shares, with remarkable honesty, his experience navigating a difficult season in his life, seeking help from a psychiatrist and therapist, and learning that strength sometimes looks like asking for support. He opens up about how running became more than a sport. At just 18 years old, he speaks with a depth of wisdom that will stop you in your tracks. This conversation is about: The courage it takes to ask for help The role of therapy and psychiatric care in mental wellness How movement, especially running, can support mental health Why sharing our stories matters And how young leaders are stepping up to make a difference As part of his senior project at Science Leadership Academy, Qwazir is serving as race director for the SLA Road to Glory 5k on Saturday, May 9th in Philadelphia. The race is free to register, with the hope that participants will donate on race day to support a…

People in this episode

Host: Michelle Quirk

Guest: Qwazir James

Topics covered

• mental health
• running
• resilience
• therapy
• youth leadership
• support
• storytelling

Keywords

• mental wellness
• running
• therapy
• support
• youth
• resilience
• SLA Road to Glory 5k

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Students Run Philly Style, Science Leadership Academy

Places: Philadelphia

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