Motivation is driven by persistence. Deb Gardner, a spectacular woman who exemplifies the strength that the motivation of her faith brings into her life, is an extraordinary example of the importance that persistence brings to building motivation and reaching one’s goals.
In Deb’s life, each life event seems to lead to another. In the end, running, biking, and her family became a huge part of her life. Contrary to the common assumption, Deb actually never ran when she was younger. She ran her first marathon, the Chicago Marathon at the age of 30. Over her lifetime, she has run 61 marathons, at least 1 in each state, including 1 50 mile race, and 1 100-mile race. Later on, she was gifted an amazing companion who would make running and biking all the more enjoyable. Tom and Deb Gardner have 7 children between them. They also have 7 grandkids. As they began running and biking together, they developed a variety of goals that would fuel their passion for enjoying the outdoors—completing their 50 by 60 marathon challenge in 2017, riding coast to coast in 2018 and riding the Great Divide in 2021.
Their first goal was their 50 by 60 challenge. It included running a marathon in all 50 states before reaching the age of 60. Finishing in September of 2017, they decided to finish their last race BIG in Kauai, Hawaii, where six of their children and their spouses were able to join them. Deb and Tom liked to live simply, running marathons on weekends and going back to work on Mondays and Tuesdays. Deb is now retired but plans her next adventure daily. They do not follow a specific diet because they believe in not taking themselves too seriously and enjoying their lives however they may.
Tom and Deb’s inspiration to run marathons came from something very simple. They ran a marathon. They met someone who ran a marathon in every state and next thing they knew, they gave it a try. Then, as they were coming home from a marathon in the pacific northwest, they encountered some bicyclists traveling on bikes across the country, and they added it to their list.
Riding bikes across the country had been Deb and Tom’s goal for a long time, and they were finally able to make it happen during the Summer of 2018, where they were able to support Back on My Feet, a community built to motivate and support individuals moving from homelessness to independence. They also supported St. Vincent de Paul, an organization that provides critical support to residents of Marion county and beyond, struggling to make ends meet. The Northern Tier route is about 4200 miles long from west to east. It crosses four mountain ranges- the Cascades, Rockies, Adirondacks and Appalachians. Along the way the route passes through Glacier National Park, the headwaters of the Mississippi, and Amish country. The route begins in Anacortes, Washington and ends at Acadia National Park. A description of the route can be viewed here.
While riding coast to coast on the Northern Tier route, they met a group of gravel cyclists racing the Tour Divide and soon that goal was added to their list. The Great Divide Mountain Bike Ride is 2,696 miles and the longest off-pavement route in the world. There is over 180,000 feet of elevation gain on the ride from Banff to Antelope Wells. This is the equivalent of almost six times the elevation of Mount Everest. The Great Divide bike ride crisscrosses the Continental Divide from north to south starting in Banff, Alberta, Canada and finishing at the US/Mexico border in Antelope Well, New Mexico. Due to COVID, Deb and Tom started at the Canadian border and rode to the border of Mexico. You can read a description of the Great Divide bike ride route here.
Rather than running a race, her life is a joy ride, each preceding moment building onto the anticipation of the next. However, Deb’s motivation is driven by her willpower to turn to her faith for enlightenment.
Their future goals include finishing up riding their bikes in every state, and their next adventure is a seven-state bike tour they call the Middle West, which includes gravel riding in South Dakota, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas. In terms of running, Deb hopes to continue to run 20 miles a week until she turns 80. Outside of fitness, Deb loves to spend time with her grandkids, continues to volunteer at St. Vincent de Paul, learns new languages, manages a spectacular indoor hydroponics garden, plays pickleball, and loves to read. Talk about a super woman! You can read more about Deb and Tom in their blog, Keep Calm and Pedal On linked below! Each of their cycling adventures is beautifully elaborated upon.
I hope Deb has motivated you to find something you feel passionate about and enjoy it for the rest of your days. I know her kind heart and inspiration has set me to do so.
Rising Echo 