Champion Highlight: Nicol Hodges

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 Nicol Hodges—changemaker, published author, life coach, and community leader.  Nicol’s group, Unity Runners, started in San Diego after finding out about the death of Breonna Taylor. Nicol decided to run every day for one month until Taylor received justice. Through other runners and activists, Nicol found out that Gina Wickstead was doing the exact same thing across town, and so the two joined forces in order to make the group bigger and more impactful. One month of running turned into 400 days, and six to ten runners turned into 200+ people running at quarterly events. (Note: Unity Runners was dismantled earlier this year due to job relocations and life going back to “normal,” but other runners have formed new running groups from Unity Runners.)  

Through the guidance of Unity Runners, Nicol has continued to host events in her community that highlight its diverse members. Events such as Black Women Rock, Power of She, and A King’s Run celebrate and honor the movement of Black men and women and encourage people to join the movement of moving their bodies. In 2023, Nicol will be working with local running stores and clothing stores to celebrate women of color throughout the San Diego area. You can follow the progress of these events on seenicrun.com/events.

Know someone who is an RIDC Champion? Reach out to amy@runningdiversity.com and share them with us!