2023 Jennifer VanderStelt Memorial Scholarship

Jessica Strecker

Meet Jessica Strecker, Run Muskegon’s inaugural Jennifer VanderStelt Memorial Scholarship recipient! Jessica is a non-traditional student returning to school after a nearly 20 year hiatus. She is currently enrolled part-time while she sits on both the regular and accelerated waiting lists for the Nursing program at MCC. She has always dreamed of a career in medicine, but life got in the way, and her second marriage and family took priority. She is now single and her daughter, Riley, is 24 and lives in Grand Rapids. She works full time at Torresen Marine and volunteers full-time at Muskegon Yacht Club. She is the 2nd female Commodore in MYC's history.



We asked Jessica to answer a few questions so everyone can get to know her a little better.

1. What High School did you/do you attend?
   I attended Terre Haute South Vigo High School in Terre Haute, Indiana where I grew up. I graduated a very long time ago, in 1997.
   
2. How long have you been running? Do you participate in any other athletic events either through school or community?
   I have basically been running my entire life, with a vacancy in my 20's. I ran in middle school and high school, on both Track and Cross Country teams. I continued running on my own, but didn't get back into running races until my mid 30s. I have participated in the Seaway run a few times, and I did the Octokerfest half marathon in Spring Lake several years ago. That was the longest distance I have run since high school and the longest distance that I've ever run in a race. 
   
   Other than running, I enjoy hiking, snow skiing, biking, and sailing. I race on a sailboat every Wednesday night from May through October with about 30 other boats from Muskegon Yacht Club. I usually race in some other port to port races through the summer as well, and last summer I sailed on my first Chicago to Mackinac race. The power of the wind on the sails, and the upper body strength it takes to trim sails can be immensely challenging at times.
   
3. What groups/organizations/events do you/have you volunteered with and why?
   I have volunteered with the Crystal Mountain Ski Patrol as a mountain host for many years. This is where I regained my desire to finish my nursing degree. Ski patrollers go through rigorous medical training every year. I also volunteered with Girls on the Run when my daughter was young. For many years I also volunteered as a US Sailing Race Official throughout the Midwest at the youth, high school, collegiate, and adult level. I have volunteered on the Board of Directors at the Muskegon Yacht Club for the past 5 years, serving as the Commodore this year. I volunteer with these groups because they are all wonderful organizations that support sports I care deeply about. I get joy from giving back to my community and supporting other women in sports. I love seeing someone try a new sport like running, skiing or sailing. Their trials eventually turn to triumph, and when that person finally succeeds at a new sport, their smile can light up the world.
   
4. What does Jen’s motto of “just one more mile” mean to you?
   Jen's motto, "Just one more mile" has great significance. To me, it means keep pushing forward no matter what. Get back up when you face-plant into the sand. God knows we all fall down, but it's in getting back up and trying again that strengthens us to our core. Sometimes, it feels impossible to go another step. But, it's the next mile that gets your endorphins and adrenaline going, keeps your feet moving, and those feel-good chemicals start rushing through your body. There's nothing else like it in the world. That's when you achieve the unthinkable. Jennifer was obviously an amazing cheerleader for herself and those around her.
   
5. What is your motivation for running?
   My motivation for running has changed throughout the different seasons of my life. It's the place I go to clear my head and just breathe. It has been a place for me to pound out my aggression with each step. It has been where I find my solace and peace, despite whatever chaos might be going in my life. It's a place that feels ok to just be me. I also want to add, I also run for my health. Running helped me gain the mental clarity and strength to leave an abusive marriage and quit smoking.
   
6. What's the farthest you have run at one time?
   I actually answered that in #2 above, but it was the 2015 Oktoberfest Half Marathon. There was one other time I remember running close to that same distance and that was when I was in high school. We must've done something to upset our CC coach, so he piled us all in his car and said we were going on a field trip. He dropped us across town and said run back to school. I will never forget that day and how hard that run was. We all stayed together as a team, so no one would end up running alone. We all made it back to school safely.
   

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