GMA's Ginger Zee teams with West Michigan mental health nonprofit

HealthNonprofit

Mar 30

Sasha Wolff (left), Ginger Zee (right)
Photo courtesy of Still I Run

ABC News Chief Meteorologist and Chief Climate Correspondent Ginger Zee teamed up with the Hudsonville-based nonprofit Still I Run to participate in the March 2024 United Airlines NYC Half marathon. The mission of Still I Run is to promote the benefits of running for mental health and, through collective stories, defeat the stigma around mental illness.

"Ginger Zee participating in the 2024 United Airlines NYC Half marathon on behalf of Still I Run marks a significant and inspiring milestone for our organization," said Sasha Wolff, Founder, Still I Run. "While ample research underscores the mental health benefits of running, it takes on added resonance when we see someone as prominent as Ginger embracing running for her own well-being and championing our cause of promoting this message nationwide."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one in five U.S. adults lives with a mental illness. During a conversation with Wolff, Zee shared how running has been pivotal in her mental health management.

"Thankfully, running and doing it for a great cause is an easy thing that slips right into my prioritization because I didn't realize for the longest time that running has been a huge part of my mental health routine. I just didn't put those two things together, but it's a critical part," said Zee.

Zee's mental health journey has been a challenging yet enlightening path, marked by personal struggles and a commitment to self-care.

"I've had the longest journey...a decade of terrible dealings with my mental health. And by dealings, I mean I wasn't dealing with it," said Zee.

Her transformation began upon moving to New York City before starting at Good Morning America, where the realization of potentially losing everything due to unattended mental health issues led her to seek inpatient therapy. This bold step marked the beginning of a healthier life grounded in a holistic approach to well-being.

Zee's involvement in the United Airlines NYC Half marathon with the Still I Run team exemplifies the nonprofit's growing impact and reach in supporting individuals across the U.S. Zee emphasizes the accessibility of running and walking as starting points for mental health care.

"I love there are simple things, running as one of them," said Zee. "That's a free way to start by saying 'I'm going to prioritize this moment for my mind and for my body,' you're creating a community around something that's accessible to everyone."

For more information, visit https://www.stillirun.org/.