Meet Vicki Hunter | Foundation Training Instructor, Level II; Lydiard Running Coach, Level II; writer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Vicki Hunter and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Vicki, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
I spent much of my life out of balance, pushing too hard in work and athletics and as a result experiencing some serious injuries and personal tragedies. It took the passing of my parents and dealing with some family crises to change my patterns of running away and denial. I also spent 6 and 1/2 years writing my memoir, “Running and Returning: Seeking Balance in an Imperfect World,” which allowed me to examine my ancestry and how it affected my behaviors. In the past, I used exercise and especially running to escape emotional pain. Running did make me feel good, but it also became an addiction which led to over doing it. When I was pregnant with my first child, I was in a life-threatening car accident. She and I both survived and, although I initially vowed to find more balance, I continued on a path of over-achieving and equating success with external accomplishments. At 63, I now feel that I am the most balanced I have ever been in my life. Running is still important to me and I still race everything from 5ks to marathons, but I know when to back off and no longer use it to run away from the challenging moments of life. My children are now in their 20s which also makes things a bit easier as they do not need me in the way they did when they were younger. However, they are the most important people in my life, along with my husband, and so I try to spend as much quality time with them as possible. I am now retired from my career teaching at the University of Colorado, I work part-time as a running coach and Foundation Training instructor teaching effective movement strategies to people of all ages. As a way of giving back, I volunteer my time offering free classes to the community whenever possible.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My early ambitions were to be a lawyer and politician. However, once I went to college and experienced academia I found a love for learning and asking questions so I decided to get my Ph.D. instead of a law degree. Going to graduate school in Boulder, Colorado also fueled my athletic side. While obtaining my degree I also worked on my running and managed to qualify for the 1988 Olympic Marathon Trials. I have spent my working life trying to balance my athletic and academic pursuits. I will admit that it hasn’t always been easy and I probably did not achieve as much as I might have had I chosen to focus on one or the other. But, I think the rewards of having two passions that I have been able to pursue have made for a very rich life. To this day, I am passionate about politics and the pursuit of a more just world that sees all humans as equal and deserving of equal rights including access to all sports.. I was lucky to be a beneficiary of Title IX, which gave equal rights to girls in the realm of sport. It changed my life to be able to go out for team sports when I was in school. My mother and her generation were not given the same options so I know how lucky I am, but I still think there is more to be done to provide equal access to sports for low-income populations and minorities. I also am an advocate for more equity in pay between men and women in all sport as women continue to earn much less than men in almost every sport.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
A perfect day in Boulder for me starts with a run or a hike in Chautauqua park where there are dozens of trails to choose from. The most popular is the Mesa trail which you can take all the way to the historic town of Eldorado if you have the time and inclination. Or you can hike up to the Royal Arch which offers an amazing view of the city. After the hike, if it is a warm day, it would be time to cool-off by either heading to the Boulder Creek or to one of the many city pools that are open in the summer months. Then, brunch at Dot’s where you can get great pancakes or if you like more savory fare they also have Indian food. Strolling the Pearl Street mall’s pedestrian walkway is a great way to spend the afternoon either shopping or watching the buskers who are scattered throughout. Dinner at The Flower Child would be my choice for ending a wonderful day.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to thank Dr. Eric Goodman and the team at Foundation Training for the life-changing work he has created and continues to evolve. Although I did heal from all of my injuries after my car accident in 1997, I was left with residual pain. It wasn’t until I was introduced to Foundation Training in 2014 by my good friend and personal trainer, Jeff Hoobler, that I started to resolve the pain in my upper back where 10 broken ribs caused a collapse in my upper right scapula that left me with an achy feeling every night. Once I found some relief, I decided to become a certified instructor in the work and this was the beginning of a new journey helping others to find better ways to move and perform athletic activities. I have since devoted myself to learning as much about anatomy and movement as I can to continue improving my understanding of how we move. In 2023, I was honored to help develop a running program for the Foundation Training website and this whole process was another step in my development as a coach and teacher of the work.

Website: https://vforcepro.com

Instagram: @thevickihunter

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheVickiHunter/

Image Credits
Jade Hunter Photography