Name: Stacy Keyes
Age: 43 (9.16.75)
Hometown: East Meadow, NY
Current Town: East Meadow NY (Lived in Long Beach 2009-2010)
Marital Status: never married in a relationship
Children –Kali Keyes (18)
Pets: dog, bird, tortoise, rabbit
Favorite Kicks: still searching – Brooks, mizuno – still figuring out the footwear
So like others who Lou approached I was shocked, honored, excited and intimated all at the same time when asked to be the WOTW. Why me? But when I sent a text to Maria she said we all get a turn and this will be yours!
My story…I am the 3rd of three girls and I always let my sisters know my parents stopped at perfection, lol. I never played sports because I was scared of getting hurt. Instead, I played house, cooked, baked, did arts and crafts (not well), played tag and rode my bike with the kids on the block, but when they played baseball, or soccer I just sat on the side. Freshman year of HS I tried a go at track, got hurt my first race (tendonitis in my big toe) and I never went again.
The college years were full of bad choices. I tossed away a free education at Hofstra since the party life was more important to me than the academic life. I worked as a retail supervisor and went back to school at NCC to study Mortuary Science. I was still partying, working two jobs and going to school when I began a relationship which resulted in my most precious gift ever, my daughter Kali. I never finished college but do plan on going back. Kali has been my reason and inspiration for everything since she came into this world in March of 2000.
Kali is the reason I started running. She always loved running and wanted an edge so one day when buying her new trainers or spikes at runners edge I inquired about a private coach to give her an edge. They recommended Fred Benlien, coach of WAA. I took her to practice every Tuesday & Thursday all sorts of weather and just stand and watch her. The team would always say “join us” I said I’m crazy but not that crazy! In 2016 my cousin asked Kali and I to join him and his sister and her husband in a Spartan in 2016. Kali was all for it so I said sure! So I started to join in the practices to get strong to do this obstacle race in Tuxedo, NY. Since that race I have been running with WAA. Maria Basile & Claudia Cabanas finally got me to the hills on Dec 31, 2017 – I hate Hills, but they make you stronger. Plus I was planning big races with Claudia – the Caumsett 50K! mind you my longest distance was a Half marathon. So I signed up for the ice breaker as a training run for the 50K. I finished my first marathon in 6:11:10 – dead last, but I finished, the 50K I took longer than the 7hour cutoff, officially finishing at 7:17:05 so I am considered a DNF. I plan on redeeming that, once my leg heals up. So to date my races have been two Spartan Sprints, one Tough Mudder (full), 2 marathons, one half marathon, one 25K and one 50K, and a bunch of 5ks, 10ks, 15ks in between.
I look forward to more hill runs with the Warriors and meeting more of you. The running community has been some of the finest people I have ever met and gives me more than I could ever probably give to it.