04/02/2026
Announcing our 2026 Vincent P Natale scholarship winner: Shannon Clark:
Shannon, a stay-at-home mom of two future trail runners, who works as an ICU/ Mental Health Counselor on the weekends recently found trail running after a difficult time in her personal life.
From her application:
“I recently got into trail running last summer after my husband and I lost our sweet baby girl, Kara Marie. Losing a child and then going through the process of delivering her was one of the hardest things I’ve faced to date, it left me feeling lost, sad and angry at my body.
Trail running helped me through this incredibly hard time and has become my favorite outlet for stress, anxiety, depression, anger, challenging days with two toddlers; really anything. It all seems to be forgotten and healed after some time running in the woods.
It also helped me reclaim a body that I had a lot of complex feelings about after two high risk, complicated childbirths and then a stillbirth. Trail running has made me a better person and a much better mom. I love that my kids get to watch their mom (&dad) commit to training, focus on their health and wellbeing and get to see us do badass sh*t.”
Everyday we hear from people who have found a way forward in a healing journey from trail running and is thrilled to be part of this journey as Shannon will race all 4 of our events this year starting Saturday at MFAMTL.
Congratulations Shannon, we will see you on the trails.