Champion Highlight: Carolyn Su
By Amy DiTommaso
An RIDC Champion is someone who is actively doing the work of the mission and vision of our organization and is a living example of the goals we have.
Our next champion is Carolyn Su, who is the creator of Diverse We Run, an Instagram account that highlights BIPOC runners and seeks to create a space for more diverse runners that was missing in mainstream social media. Carolyn is a mother (to both human and fur children) and an advocate for mental health discussions and support in all communities. If you follow her on Instagram you will also find that she shares a lot of amazing cooking stories (come on Insta . . . give us that smell-o-vision!), and we made sure to get her favorite recipe! We spoke to Carolyn about starting Diverse We Run and what’s up next for her as she continues to work hard to promote and bring in the diverse voices we need in our running world.
Running Industry Diversity Coalition (RIDC): How and when did Diverse We Run start?
Carolyn Su (CS): Back around 2017, 2018, was when I first started hearing the concept of running as a community. As I explored the running world on social media, seeking ways to connect with this so-called community, I quickly began to see the same narrative online as I experienced in daily life: the white American experience being the default, assumed norm and standard. Listening to running podcasts, reading running articles, and scrolling running accounts revealed the pattern of what characteristics people used to define as “a runner.” Spoiler alert: it was not me (apparently).
That made me start to wonder where all the BIPOC folks were, and whether or not BIPOC runners even existed. I started looking into basic hashtags, such as #AsianRunners, #BlackRunners, and #LatinoRunners, etc., and discovered what seemed like an entirely other world! There were people like me! Who ran! And raced!
As I started to connect with and get to know more BIPOC runners online, I started to wonder why our stories weren’t being acknowledged and featured on running podcasts, articles, and social media accounts. So many of the journeys and experiences of BIPOC runners are shaped by our various cultures and histories, and they differed from the storylines that were so widely touted by mainstream running media. Why weren’t our experiences being shared?
Initially, I tried reaching out to several of the giants in running media. After expressing appreciation for their work, I would gently point out the pattern in demographics that were being [portrayed], following up with recommendations of BIPOC runners with equally impressive accolades and inspiring stories. I was politely dismissed. Every. Single. Time.
In December 2019, after venting my frustrations to a group of BIPOC runner friends, I realized if no one else was going to share our stories, then I would do it.
And that’s how #diversewerun began!
RIDC: What is something you are most proud of when it comes to your work in the running space?
CS: For the running community, it LIFTS my SOUL when people begin to recognize that they are SEEN, that they are VALUED, and that they BELONG. When people learn that they’re not alone in their experiences, it empowers them to stand in their space and to not shrink themselves, thinking they don’t fit the Euro-centered, white-male norm that the sport has centered and been built around. It is very rewarding and inspiring to witness this shift happen!
Personally, I’m also proud of myself for the ways I have pushed myself to speak up, take up space, and take on scary things, in hopes of making change for a more inclusive sport. I’ve had to make decisions and work through a lot of situations that are ordinarily outside of what I’m comfortable with, and I’m proud of how I’ve faced every situation as an opportunity for growth and learning.
RIDC: How can we encourage others to take their mental health needs past thinking “I just need a good run”?
CS: I think it would be helpful for us to examine what it is about a “good run” that we find therapeutic. Is it that we enjoy the company of running friends? Or is it the time away in solitude that helps decrease mental and emotional stress? Or do we simply enjoy the feeling of a good sweat or of being outside? The answers to each of these questions reveals the root of our actual needs, beyond an endorphin rush, so we aren’t simply using the idea of a good run as a form of escape, a numbing agent, or a band-aid that prevents us from addressing what underlying issues (if any) need to be dealt with.
RIDC: How do you see the communities you are part of benefitting from both physical movement as well as the community that movement typically brings?
CS: Regular movement benefits everyone’s physical, mental, and emotional health! That is something I think my ancestors understood, living in Taiwan and China, but as generations moved to establish new life here in the States, the priority for survival took precedence. Many first- and even second-generation immigrants from east Asia have had to sacrifice the resources to participate in sports in order to have the capacity to assimilate and achieve future security through excellence in academics.
The need to assimilate and to divest from our cultural identity in order to avoid violence in America has also resulted in the belief that Asian Americans must keep our heads down and just focus on getting our own sh*t done. This creates an incredibly isolating and lonely way to move through life, and it is the antithesis of the roots of our community-oriented culture. We need to know we’re not always the “only lonely” minority. We need to be reminded that we are all a part of a bigger tapestry, and that each thread matters. Community matters, and it empowers us to live more fully and freely.
All generations in the Chinese American community would benefit from regular movement practices, with the kinds of physiological and social benefits that are gained, which would aid everyone in all the other areas of our lives.
RIDC: What do you wish more people knew about running in diverse spaces?
CS: That there is not one “right” way to experience the sport, and that running in America has been centered on and defined by white, upper-middle-class communities. That running in America is a microcosm of the societal structures of America, and therefore, to be a person of a melanated, cultural background means our experience and longevity in the sport looks vastly different from what has historically been considered the norm and standard. Let’s de-center ourselves and practice some empathy and awareness. Everyone benefits if we do that.
RIDC: What are you currently working on, or what upcoming events do you have?
And a bonus question (since I am a huge fan girl!!): Any awesome recipes you want to share? :)
CS: Ooh! Well, I just recently launched a new podcast, Making Strides, with my dear friend Stefanie Flippin, and we had the opportunity to host a live show with another friend, Mirna Valerio, during the Boston Marathon weekend!
Making Strides is a space to share our experiences as BIPOC female runners, as well as a space to discuss the nuances that come with our perspectives in areas like safety, sponsorships and contract negotiations, mental health, current events in the running world, etc.
We hope the podcast serves to fill in the gaps of what is not typically covered in running industry media, and we hope that through our conversations we can be a safe space for learning and a launching pad for making the sport more equitable and inclusive for everyone. It’s now on Spotify for everyone to check out!
I’m also currently working on several other projects, such as forming the Asian American Runners Coalition, as well as getting sponsorships to put together an all-inclusive road-running team with Lift Run Perform! Lots of ideas in the works
One of my family’s current dinner faves is this vegetarian Baked Rigatoni with Butternut Squash dish! https://www.feastingathome.com/baked-rigatoni-with-butternut-squash/
