• Name: Megan Rast
• Location: Denver, Colorado
• Contribution: Ran a half marathon with Team Sierra (teamsierra.org)

What inspired you to run a half marathon and raise money for the Sierra Club?
After the November 2016 election, I felt like I needed to do more to help protect the environment, so I volunteered for the Our Wild America campaign. Then I got involved in the Colorado Chapter's legislative committee, and now I'm on the executive committee. The Our Wild America campaign is what inspired me to run the Rocky Mountain Half Marathon for Team Sierra. It was a way to enjoy a place we work so hard to protect.

You already volunteer a lot. Why also do a Team Sierra fundraiser?
I'd been doing all this work quietly behind the scenes. Fundraising was an opportunity to invite friends and family to get to know the Sierra Club. Also, I travel a lot for work, so frankly I was out of shape. I've run a marathon and a couple of half marathons, but it's been a few years. It was just a good combination: fundraising for an important cause, getting some people power going, and doing a race just outside a national park.

How did you train?
I went up to the mountains a few times to try to get my lungs ready for the higher elevation. I ran on my own, and I did a few runs with Dan, a friend from the chapter who partnered with me on the fundraising.

Did your family and friends donate to the cause?
Yes, they exceeded expectations. Dan and I asked for donations of $26 (a dollar for each mile we would run together). Some friends gave four times as much. For me, it spoke to how, in this moment, we all want to do something meaningful. Obviously, it's the power of friendship, but I think it's also the power of the Sierra Club.

How was the race?
It was challenging. There's a steady incline for the first five miles, and then you make a turn and see the mountains and it becomes more undulating. It's a beautiful part of Colorado. Dan stuck with me, and we finished together. Sierra Club folks came and cheered us on.

What would you say to others who might be considering signing up for a Team Sierra event?
It's an incredible opportunity to give to the Sierra Club and get something meaningful in return. It was painful in the moment, but after Dan and I finished, we were like, "We want to do this again next year!"

This article appeared in the March/April 2019 edition with the headline "Team Player." Click here for Team Sierra's 2019 calendar.