We recently connected with Sammie Bennett and have shared our conversation below.

Sammie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

The mission behind my work is largely driven by my personal experience as a queer woman in sport who developed a poor relationship with food and movement as a way to distract myself from some of my mental demons. This led me to get curious about my mental health and as I found my way started noticing many other people were experiencing similar stresses around their movement practice also I noticed the image of running was limiting to so many people. What started out as a very passion-driven hobby quickly became a mission for my work ahead. I started my own coaching practice and within the running community a movement called Friendship Miles. My coaching practice serves 1-1 clients to help them heal their relationship to their bodies/movement and find sustainability in their practice. Friendship Miles is a term to help diversify and make social running more inclusive and welcoming to join with ease.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Sammie Bennett, an endurance athlete and endurance coach. I reside in Grand Rapids, MI, and am a community running leader, leading Lyon Street Run Club, Trail Sisters Grand Rapids, and the co-founder of Friendship Miles. I started social running in 2012 and social running in groups around 2019. I found a lot of healing in this space, making new like-minded friends and progressing my fitness by learning from others, but a lot of my demons came to the surface as well. I fell into the comparison, trap focusing on speed and racing which wasn’t sustainable for my goals ahead. This affected my mental health and also my physical health, I was suffering silently. I was using running as a distraction from some greater demons ahead and decided to seek some guidance for my running practice and stumbled upon a leadership program called Mountains and Marathons – with the intention of hiring a coach to run a marathon I ended up enlisting in their 6-month long program to climb Mount Kilimanjaro – a level of adventure that was very unlike me to embark upon. The experience fundamentally changed my lens in life and I got really curious about how I could find light in running again and also take care of my body and mind – yes this can exist with the right mindset and focus. Three years later Mountains and Marathons offered me a full-time role with them as their Endurance and Fitness Coach – a dream come true. I work with all athletes, but focus on females to train with their cycles and shift daily routines around the different phases – also known as cycle syncing. I work with clients 1-1 and develop programs around a sustainable running and/or movement routine on the foundation of embodied mindfulness practices. I also co-founded Friendship Miles, a community and term to influence new and seasoned runners to slow down and make new friends in the community. The image of running is very intimidating and not conducive for those who are not running yet, I want to change that and help educate folks about running and what is possible for them. Friendship Miles is a low-barrier entry to social movement without the stress of having to be at a specific level to participate and meet new people. The non-profit is geared towards unique inclusive community events, a place for running/movement resources, and eventually mental health programs supporting athletes who are struggling in other life areas. I am most proud of the influence I have made in my community to support all kinds of athletes who want mentorship, not just the image of a runner that exists right now. I am proud of the community partners and sponsorships I have connected with to support my dreams. I am also proud of the athlete’s lives I get to touch daily through my coaching practice. I am not just a running coach here to help you with short-term satisfaction or PR after PR. I do that and a coach who will connect you to purpose and teach you tools you can take with you for the rest of your life. I see far too many runners burn out, get injured, or end their careers way too early, I want to help my athletes do what they love for the rest of their lives and connect them to supportive communities. I am invested in all life areas, not just running.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

More is not what makes a successful athlete. And that your speed, body shape, or fast pace makes you a better runner than others. SO false.

There is a grind, and there is hard work, but we are not robots. We need rest, and women have to consider their rest very differently than men. I learned this lesson the hard way which led to burnout, a massive hormone imbalance, and very dark moments during my mental health journey. I was undernourished and spiraling in a lot of my swirly emotions and trying to use running to distract myself. Oftentimes athletes seek movement because they are trying to process hardships or work through things, but it can also lead to disassociating or numbing the issue. Running is a tool, not an identity, and we are multifaceted beings.

What I learned the hardest was that no matter how often I set large goals trying to outdo myself time after time, it would only temporarily satisfy me. I would reach some of my greatest victories and a few weeks later be met with some of my darkest moments because I would blow past the accomplishment seeking more and never fully allowing myself to rest and sit with the celebration. I was also seeking external validation for my triumphs and when it wasn’t met, it was defeated, lonely, and sad, I wasn’t running for myself or even living a life I was excited about for a while and the disconnect wasn’t obvious until my mental health led me to question my reality and whether life was really worth participating in.

No matter what we accomplish in life we have to take time to be with that before we blow past it to the next. We need to rest and create intentional celebrations for our greatest feats. But first, we have to create a healthy relationship with the goal, understand why we even want it, and then very confidently detach from the desired outcome. We can have a goal in mind, but also we must prepare for alternative outcomes. I love running because it can help us in so many healthy ways and be such a metaphor for life, but it can also be the most defeating practice when you try to outdo yourself every time.

It isn’t sustainable and nobody will ever be able to celebrate you as much as you, and if you aren’t well enough to be connected to your wins, you will never find the joy with it. I learned this the hard way so I do my best to help my clients find joy in the little things and daily practices that guide us to our bigger goals, and we celebrate EVERYTHING!

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

My entire business is self-funded and will continue to be. I am building my business while still working a full-time job. It has not been the easiest, but this mission lives in my heart I know this time is temporary. I saved a lot and started out coaching and creating events benefiting others for free to get experience and asked friends I coached and community partners for testimonials. I am still a long way from where I want to be, but in 10 months I have grown my business nearly 80%. I made intentional choices about my investments and first, those investments were directly into me and developing my needs – therapy, leadership mentors, courses, certifications, travel, networking, etc. As I invested in these things the ROI has always shown up. It has slowed down my ability to go all-in on my business, but I am patient and know this is the best way for me to build what I am creating and opportunities keep showing up!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.friendshipmiles.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/saammieb
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samantha.bennett.1671/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/%E2%9C%8C%F0%9F%8F%BBsammie-bennett-0630a334/
• Other: https://linktr.ee/saammieb My website is still in development, but will be done by early November! The best place to reach me is Instagram – the link in my bio (above) has a contact form.

Image Credits
@AndiBPhotography @FreshCoastExposures