Jessica Patera

Jessica Patera

Nomination 1:   Jessica is a long time running buddy.  She inspires people just by being herself.     She is a good friend and is real.  If she is running with me, she will sometimes whisper, "you’ve got this" or "let's push it".      When I'm running, she has yelled out my name when I ran by or honked.  It gave me a boost and made me feel special.     She is a wife, a mom of two little girls for whom she is a great role model.   Jessica does many things to help others and still finds time to run and is very supportive of her friends and especially veterans.     Before she starting running, she shared with me that she had gained a lot of pregnancy weight.    It amazes me to think that she lost 75 pounds.  You would never know it.  She looks amazing and always dresses with flair.     Jessica definitely inspires me to keep going and do the best run I can.     I am thankful that I met her through the Fleet Feet Training program.

Nomination 2:    Jessica has helped me start running and pushing me to keep going distances and speeds I did not think I was capable of.  When I am struggling during a run, she helps pull me through and her motivation and drive help me strive for more.  I definitely wouldn't be doing anything more than 5k fun runs without her support.