Episode 72: Marathons with Meaning

50 min listen

Cheering On Elite Runner Samantha Roecker at the Boston Marathon

This week, as the 2024 Boston Marathon approaches, we revisit our episode featuring Samantha Roecker, FNP, a nurse practitioner, elite runner, and Guinness World Record holder. Samantha is not only a competitive runner but also a passionate advocate for mental health and healthcare workforce well-being.

Breaking Barriers and Stigmas

Samantha Roecker has consistently broken barriers, both on the track and in her professional life. Her performance at the 2022 Boston Marathon was particularly noteworthy as she donned a nurse’s uniform to challenge the Guinness World Record. Inspired by Jessica Anderson, another nurse and marathon record holder, Samantha set out to highlight the crucial overlap between nursing and competitive running and to raise funds for nurse well-being.

The Impact of Mental Health Advocacy in Nursing

In this revealing episode, Samantha discusses the significant impact stigma has on the ability to seek mental health services and the barriers it creates in reaching one’s potential. She emphasizes the importance of nurse-specific mental health support and how her dual roles as a nurse and an athlete uniquely position her to advocate for these critical issues. Samantha’s story is a powerful testament to the surprising yet profound connections between running and nursing.

Resources

• Sam Roecker - Elite Marathoner Who Will Run Boston in Scrubs
• Fastest marathon in a nurse's uniform (female) | Guinness World Records
• Jessica Anderson awarded fastest marathon wearing a nurse's uniform record title
• Nurse Runs the Boston Marathon in Scrubs For a Cause, Here's The Reason Why
• Jessica Anderson Guinness World Record Marathon - Nurse CNO Award
• #WhatNursesWear: Nurses of Twitter respond brilliantly to sexist Guinness World Records decision
• American Nurses Foundation, Inc. - Samantha Roecker Marathon Fundraiser
• American Nurses Foundation's Well-Being Initiative
• Coronavirus | Well-Being Initiative | Mental Health | ANA
• Mental Health Awareness Month
• Healthy Nurse Healthy Nation
• https://www.inquirer.com/health/sam-roecker-nurse-marathoner-boston-record-20220418.html
• https://www.instagram.com/samroecker/?hl=en
• Psych Congress Network Reclaiming Nurses Week video series
• Passing the Baton: Nurses Jess Anderson and Sam Roecker (tracksmith.com)

About See You Now Podcast

See You Now is a podcast highlighting the innovative and human centered solutions that nurses are coming up with to solve for today’s most challenging, healthcare problems, created in collaboration with Johnson and Johnson and the American Nurses Association and hosted by nurse, economist and health tech specialist, Shawna Butler.