By Sarah Greer Osborne

Houston mother of two Ashley Deadwyler will never forget her first 10k race. “There were more than 1,000 people in the stands, but my two sons were yelling the loudest,” boasts Deadwyler. “All I could hear was win, Mommy win!”

Although Ashley didn’t cross the finish line first, she still considers that race a major turning point in her life and the lives of her children.  “Never in my wildest dreams did I think running could change everything for my family, but it did,” she says. “The impact has been amazing.”
Since that initial race, Ashley has run in dozens of others. But now instead of yelling from the sidelines, her two boys, Avery 10 and Julian 8, run along side her.

It started with a lap around the block every night after dinner two years ago, but now the three of them run nearly and hour and a half five times a week. “They saw me training in the evenings and soon they wanted me to train them,” laughs Deadwyler. “I started them out slowly and I motivated them by holding them back at first. I didn’t want them to get winded or too tired, just run at a steady pace.”

The nightly routine can be challenging to fit into Deadwyler’s busy schedule as a school teacher. But it has become more than just exercise. Their time outdoors is now a bonding ritual for the three. To make things consistent, the entire family eats at 5:30 p.m., waits an hour for their food to digest and then hits the pavement. Some nights it’s a bit of a competition as the two boys try to outdo each other. But most of the time it’s a team effort. “If one slows down the other cheers him on and encourages him,” she says.

In addition to building teamwork in the siblings, Deadwyler attributes the running to other significant changes in her sons’ behaviors, particularly Avery’s. The older child had always struggled with hyperactivity and behavior issues. In fact, his teachers believed he was ADHD. Deadwyler was not in favor of using medication on Avery so she tried several different behavior modification techniques, but nothing changed his ultra-energetic behavior. That was until they began running as a family. “This is the first time I have felt that there is nothing wrong with my child,” she says. “This feeling started when we began running.”

Nine year old Avery smiles when he is asked about how his life is different now since he began running. “A long time ago, I had bad grades and my behavior wasn’t good,” he says. “Now I get good grades and I never get in trouble anymore.”

Deadwyler and her sons are featured in a new book called “Be Well: Messages from Moms on Living Healthier Lives.” The book is a compilation of stories from moms throughout the U.S. who are working to establish life-long healthy habits in their kids. Austin, Texas mother Susan Dell spearheaded the book as part of her and her husband’s foundation which is dedicated to improving the lives of children living around the world. In the U.S. and in Texas, Dell is specifically focused on encouraging kids to be more physically active and eat healthier, which will help combat the child obesity epidemic that is facing our nation. “Less than 50% of children in our country between the ages of 6 and 11 get the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity a day,” Dell points out.

The moms featured in “Be Well” all share their tips, recipes and motivation for helping their families lead healthier lives. “Many of the women featured do not have many material possessions,” says Dell. “But what they do possess is the creativity and determination to guide their children towards the healthiest lives possible, despite the odds of living in a combat zone full of fast food, sugary treats and the lure of electronic foods and video games.”

Deadwyler says she is honored to be featured in the book and hopes her story will inspire others moms to start running with their children. “I love my children deeply, they’re my life and I want them to have the healthiest and happiest lives possible,” she says. “But in order to do that I must give them the tools they need. Running is one of those tools!”

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