“I have always had a passion for fitness but never an interest in running until I ran my first half marathon in the Spring of 2020,” says Crystal Rasmussen. Before running her first half marathon, she grew up swimming and golfing competitively. Crystal was always at the gym, even powerlifting for a while, and she dabbled in CrossFit. But running has taken on a new, personal significance for her.
“The thing is,” she says, “I’ve battled an eating disorder that I didn’t want to admit to anyone, let alone myself, since I was 18 years old. I find the mental battle that long distance running entails similar to what I was facing with my eating disorder. Do I give up and quit or do I push past the wall and keep going? I live for the feeling of shattering the limits of my mind and crushing that wall. I also hope that being open about my struggles may help others who are facing similar challenges.”
In 2022, Crystal is signed up to run The Split Half Marathon April 10 in Spokane’s Kendall Yards neighborhood.
Inland NW Runner Profile sponsored by Negative Split.
Photos courtesy of Crystal Rasmussen.
Find Run Wild column articles and more stories about running in the OTO archives.
