Chicago Run believes that ‘everyone is a runner’ and that physical activity should be accessible to young people of all identities and abilities. The need for our work – providing equitable access to inclusive running and physical activity programming – stems from pre-existing inequities in Chicago communities, resulting from institutional barriers and systemic disinvestment, particularly in communities of color. As we seek to understand and dismantle inequities around access to resources for healthy development, including sport accessibility, we must be committed to centering equity across all facets of our work, and actively working toward a Chicago in which opportunities for physical activity and play are available to every young person. (Read our full equity philosophy and core values here.)
We are so grateful to the incredible panelists who joined us to increase visibility around this topic in our first ever virtual panel discussion on Inclusivity in Sport. Thank you to Jen Dixon, Patti Flynn, Ian Gonzalez, Larke Johnson, and to Alicia Gonzalez for moderating. We're so glad we could be joined by Chicago Run youth participants, partner organizations, funders, running community members, and our supporters who engaged in this meaningful discussion on the importance of accessibility and inclusion in physical activity.
If you missed the live event, view the full recorded conversation below:
Panelists Include:
Jennifer Dixon, Managing Director of Programs, WorldChicago
Before joining WorldChicago, Jennifer worked or served in civic leadership roles for organizations such as Urban Alliance, Umoja, Girls on the Run - Chicago, and UCAN as well as founded and successfully ran her own business, You Grow Girl! Fitness, LLC, for 10 years. Currently, Jennifer serves on the Board for CPS Lives, which places Artist in Resident Fellows in Chicago Public Schools. With 25+ years of experience in working for or serving a variety of non-profit organizations as well as 30 years of experience in the health and fitness industry, this unique blend of professional experience and training has allowed Jennifer to utilize both areas of knowledge in independent and complementary ways.
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Patti Flynn, Senior DEI Strategy Consultant, Equality Institute
Patti Flynn is an out queer trans woman, and advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. She works as a Senior DEI Strategy Consultant with Equality Institute. In addition she is a Race Co-Director for Proud to Run Chicago, and a member of OUTRun where she uses her DEI experience to help races to improve LGBTQ+ inclusion. She is an avid endurance athlete, having finished multiple Ironman races, marathons, ultra-marathons, and her favorite race, the 6-day TransRockies Run stage race in 2018.
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Ian Gonzalez, Owner, Last Lap Cornerstore
Ian is an avid runner and former Nike trainer. He started Last Lap Cornerstore, located in the Bronzeville Incubator marketplace called Boxville, in 2020. As a resident of the Bronzeville neighborhood, he noticed the need for more local running stores on the South Side of Chicago, in predominantly Black communities, when he was training for his first marathon in 2018. He has been a part of additional efforts to serve and expand the Black running community as a captain of the GumboFit running program and a cofounder of the 7onSundays run club. He hopes to help bridge the gap in Chicago’s running community and provide more opportunities for runners from all neighborhoods.
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Larke Johnson, Chicago Run Junior Coach
Born and raised in Chicago, Larke comes from a family of running enthusiasts. Despite being diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy as an infant, Larke has been driven to keep up the family tradition. Currently a junior at Ogden IB High School, Larke has participated in running events with Special Olympics since grammar school. In 2019, she was introduced to the Race Runner, a device that enables individuals with movement challenges to run independently. It is her desire to encourage others like her to fully engage in running activities. In her spare time, Larke enjoys yoga, ballet, and horseback riding.
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Moderated by:
Alicia Gonzalez, Executive Director, Chicago Cubs Charities
Alicia is from Chicago (Pilsen & Little Italy neighborhoods) and is the Executive Director of Chicago Cubs Charities. In her current role, Alicia oversees Cubs Charities philanthropic and programmatic investments in Chicago communities and provides strategic direction for elevating the power of sport as a vehicle for improved health, academic success, and leadership development. Alicia transitioned to the Cubs in May 2018, after serving for ten years as the Founding Executive Director of Chicago Run. Prior to Chicago Run, Alicia served as the head of Hispanic Business Development for First American Bank, where she oversaw the expansion of private-public partnerships in the Latino community. Alicia’s roots are in the community and prior to working in the private sector, she held positions as a community organizer and youth development program director in both Chicago and Boston. Alicia serves on the Board of Directors for the YMCA Metro Chicago, Heartland Alliance Human Care Services and Instituto del Progreso Latino.
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