When Stephanie Shiau moved to South Orange, New Jersey in the autumn of 2019 she left her New York running community behind. Having trained with a group for several years, Stephanie knew the magic and transformation that comes through training with others. Not wanting to miss out on this camaraderie and growth, Stephanie immediately searched for a running community in her new neighborhood. What she found, however was an opportunity to create a running community and, thus, SOMA Fox Running Club was born.

Stephanie Shiau is an epidemiologist at Rutgers School of Public Health where she teaches and mentors graduate students. It’s not a surprise that she would teach and mentor individuals in another realm about which she knows a lot: running. Stephanie is a founding member and head coach of SOMA Fox Running Club, which serves South Orange / Maplewood and the surrounding New Jersey neighborhoods. SOMA Fox Running Club is not just any running club, though. Their mission is twofold: to promote and extend the joys of running to everyone, and to give back to the community. As such, and because they believe that all people should have access to healthy food to achieve their own goals, a percentage of all funds raised by SOMA Fox Running Club goes to their charity partner, MEND - Meeting Essential Needs with Dignity.

This is a story about leadership, courage in creating community during a global pandemic, inclusivity, service, compassion and the power and joy that arise when a community supports one another.