Elite runner wants to help others keep moving
Jasmine Parniani was completely out of breath from her run as she came to a halt as the light turned red at a crosswalk in Corona del Mar. She eyed the fit-looking runner standing next to her and asked, ”Does it ever get easier?”
The woman she’d encountered at that stoplight was Kelly Leonard, her athletic physique a testimony to her dedication. Leonard replied, “I do this on the side, I’m a running coach.”
Leonard, a world class runner, is used to meeting people and striking up conversations during her runs. She recalls that one even asked her, “How do I get to look like you?”
The brief encounters often end with an exchange of phone numbers — as it did with Parniani — after Leonard tells them she is a running coach and nutritional counselor.
“It’s my life and I love it,” said the Newport Beach resident.
Leonard, a native Southern Californian, had been working at her family’s Long Beach jewelry store in 2003 when the jeweler announced that he had just run the L.A. Marathon.
“I then bought my first pair of running shoes and ran the Long Beach half-marathon and fell in love with running,” said Leonard. “Coach Victor Torres [the jeweler] is the reason I started running. He’s my mentor.”
With at least 34 marathons under her belt, including a handful of first-place female finishes in 5K to 30K races, she attributes discipline, perseverance and consistency to making her an elite runner and stronger. Her experiences also enabled her to help others become better runners.
“I’ve been fortunate to have traveled around the world, Tokyo, Berlin, Toronto to name a few, and made lifelong friends through running,” said Leonard. “Runners have the most special camaraderie I’ve ever met [and they are] stronger individuals through fitness.”
Along with her personal coaching, Leonard started a no-cost running group on Nextdoor this month called Starting Line. She said that idea sprang from her desire to create a way to give back to the community by inspiring others to plan group runs, walks and hikes.
“I started a group for like-minded people who want to get in better shape, talk running, races or athletics,” said Leonard. “To have a place where they talk about mutual interests and improve.”
She regularly posts encouraging quotes, motivational advice about keeping the body moving, announcements about upcoming races, and meet-ups. Some of the common threads in the posts are how to lose COVID-19 pounds, the health benefits of running, meeting fellow runners, and keeping one another motivated.
Parniani, who has been training with Leonard for four months now, used to tell herself that she wasn’t cut out to be a long distance runner.
“I realized that my bad attitude toward long distance running was self-taught,” said Parniani, who moved from Newport Beach to L.A. two weeks ago but says she isn’t going to let the distance stop her from training with Leonard.
“I’ve changed my mindset after meeting Kelly,” said Parniani. “She’s so patient, so good with little tips that make a big impact. She taught me the little things like starting off slow, and importance of a warm-up to maintain a long distance pace.”
“Kelly is a great cheerleader,” said Parniani. “She always points out all the things I’m doing well at, like just showing up and pushes me in smaller manageable goals.”
Leonard, who has earned a nutrition certification, recognizes what people consume is a big part of staying fit. She has helped Parniani shed a light on snacks before and during runs to keep fueled without getting nauseous.
“I don’t believe in diets,” said Leonard. “I focus on good healthy lifestyle choices.”
Leonard has even taken clients grocery shopping to show them how to read nutrition labels, teach them the difference between wild and farm raised salmon, steering them away from processed and packaged foods, and sugar in exchange for fruits and vegetables.
“It’s about foods for the soul and not depriving ourselves,” she said.
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