Growing up along the murky creeks of Southern Georgia, Cheryl Wright swam fearlessly in waters teeming with alligators, believing she would see them coming in time to escape.

Looking back, she marvels at the risks her childhood self took, using that memory as a powerful metaphor in her later life. Cheryl found a striking similarity between lurking alligators and the presence of narcissists—both hidden threats that can catch you off guard and leave a lasting mark.

Inspired by these experiences, Cheryl became an author, channeling her story into her book and website, "Everything is Swimming with Alligators," where she shares lessons from her journey and empowers others to navigate the often treacherous waters of human relationships.

Lisa Smith-Batchen’s journey to endurance running greatness didn’t follow a typical path. In high school, she was told she was too slow for the cross country and track teams and struggled with asthma—so she gave up running for years, despite loving it. Everything changed during her last year of college, when she decided to join a 5K Turkey Trot on a whim. Surprisingly, she won the race—and a 20-pound turkey—proving to herself (and her family) that she was a runner after all.

From there, Lisa rapidly escalated her ambitions: from local 10Ks to her first marathon, and soon after, she was talked into running the legendary Badwater 135 ultra marathon by friend and mentor Marshall Ulrich. By 1995, just months after learning what an “ultra” even was, Lisa found herself at the Badwater starting line in Death Valley, and discovered a true passion for extreme endurance. Since then, Lisa Smith-Batchen has become a celebrated figure in the ultrarunning world, known for her bold spirit, rapid progress, and deep love for pushing beyond the marathon into the toughest races on earth.

For years, Dr. Joan Steidinger watched as women’s natural focus on relationships was misunderstood—even pathologized.

Inspired by the cultural impact of books like Women Who Love Too Much in the 1980s and 90s, she felt frustrated by the notion that women’s relational strengths were seen as problems rather than strengths.

Determined to change the narrative, Dr. Steidinger decided to write her own book—one that would celebrate women’s connection-oriented approach through the world of sports, particularly running.

Through research, she discovered that, contrary to stereotypes, women didn’t simply talk more than men—they talked more about relationships. With her work, Dr. Steidinger aims to normalize and honor the relationship focus of women, showing it as a source of power and community, not a weakness.