At the time, she was a journalism student at Syracuse University. She loved running, but there was no women’s team,  so she began training unofficially with the men’s cross-country team instead. That’s where she met Arnie, who was actually the mailman for the university. Arnie had run the Boston marathon 15 times before Kathrine started training to run with him.

And she trained hard! All winter long, no matter how cold it got, she laced up her sneakers and hit the hills of Syracuse, charging into the bitter wind and circling the frozen lakes.

Arnie was impressed. In fact, one time, she pushed him so hard that he passed out after their run!

If she could push Arnie that far and still keep going, Kathrine figured surely she could run the marathon, so the next day, she signed up. There was nothing on the form that said only men could enter the race. There wasn’t even a box to check for gender! She mailed in her three dollar entry fee and signed her name at the bottom of the form: K.V. Switzer.

That’s how she always signed official documents.

Kathrine’s mom: Hello?

Kathrine: Hey Mom, it’s Kathy.

Kathrine’s mom: Kathy! How are you? Hon – it’s Kathy!

Kathrine’s dad: Hey kid. How ya doing?

Kathrine: Good! I mean…yeah, good! Can I tell you something?

First, she had to explain to her parents what a marathon was and why she had traveled to Boston with a mailman named Arnie, a track teammate, and her burly football player boyfriend who’d decided to come along at the last minute. Her parents listened to her whole explanation and didn’t interrupt. Kathrine finished by saying the one thing she knew for sure: “It is important for me to finish the race.”

She waited to hear what her parents would say. As she waited, all of her fears and anxieties started swirling around inside her brain. What if she tripped and fell or someone opened a car door in her face? What if she got sick? What if it just hurt so much that she couldn’t find the courage to go on?

But Kathrine’s dad’s calm voice cut through all of her fears. He said, “Kid, you can do it. You’re tough, you’ve trained, you’ll do great!”

Kathrine breathed a sigh of relief. She looked out at the dark, rainy skies and knew he was right. She was tough. She did train. And now, it was go time!

Okay, she sighed. Let’s do this.

Kathrine put on her gold hoop earrings and her favorite lipstick. Then she and her crew, Arnie, her teammate, and her boyfriend drove to the starting line and picked up their racing bibs. Kathrine’s said K. SWITZER, number 261.

As she pinned it on to her chest, she felt goosebumps rising all over her body.

People around the starting line began to notice that there was something a little different about this K. SWITZER.

They gave her curious looks. They asked her questions too.

You gonna go the whole way?

Kathrine smiled proudly. Yes, she was going to go the whole way. At least that was the plan.

Around mile four, Kathrine and her friends heard a commotion behind them. People were jostling and trying to get to the side of the road as a big flatbed truck came rolling through. When the truck passed her, Kathrine saw that the back was filled with photographers. And they were all trying to snap pictures of her, the only woman in the race, the only woman who had ever officially raced to print in newspapers and magazines!

But, up ahead on the racecourse Kathrine heard yelling. It was a man dressed up in a long coat and a felt hat. Clearly, he wasn’t one of the runners. He was standing in the middle of the road shaking his finger… at Kathrine! She tried to run around him, but as she did, he reached out and yanked off one of her gloves!

The man lunged at her and tried to pull the racing bib right off her sweatshirt. Kathrine was terrified. She tried to run away, but now he caught her by the back of her sweatshirt and held on tight.

“Leave her alone, Jock!” Arnie shouted.

MAN: “Stay out of this!”

Suddenly, her boyfriend Tom took the guy down with a cross-body block!!

Whoever this Jock guy was, he was now lying on the side of the road. Kathrine was in shock.

Turns out, the man Tom had JUST punched was none other than Jock Semple, the manager of the Boston marathon.

Well that decided it. She wasn’t stopping. She was gonna finish this race No. Matter. What.

She had really done it! Even with all those people hounding her and trying to pull her off course. Kathrine Switzer had run the entire Boston marathon!

That very night, Kathrine and her little team got in the car and started their drive back to Syracuse University. They were about half-way there when they stopped for some gas and a cup of coffee. That’s when Katherine spotted a newspaper…

Plastered across the front page were pictures of her! There was Jock Semple trying to rip her bib off. And Tom taking Jock down. And best of all…Kathrine at the finish line!

Kathrine realized that she made history that day. She showed herself and the world how strong a woman could be – not only physically but mentally too. She had faced anger and discrimination, pain and fear,

And she had run right through it. Right to the finish line.

What about you? Is there some race or tournament that you’re gearing up for? What inspires you when you’re feeling super tired or scared that you can’t make it? Who do you picture cheering you on?

Make sure you hit the heart button and let us know what you think.

Now, let’s get going on our next story and don’t forget to…..staaaaay rebel!