I never played sports growing up; I was the girl in band class, ducking out of gym whenever I could. But in May 2014, I had Chiari decompression surgery — a delicate operation to ease pressure on the brain. While recovering in the ICU, I started walking laps. Then I started walking along my road in Richmond. Eventually, I signed up for a race called the Moosalamoo Ultra. After so much time spent healing, it just felt good to push myself again. That was it. I was hooked.

Since then, I’ve run ultramarathons, races exceeding the standard 26.2-mile marathon distance, across Vermont and beyond, including Beebe Farm’s 48-hour Ultra, Notchview Ultra and the Endurance Society’s Deca Marathon — ten marathons in ten days. In 2024, I was the only woman to finish.

This year, after six brutal days of heavy rain, thunderstorms and mud, I dropped. This time, I simply couldn’t finish.

But I showed up the next morning with locally made donuts. If I say, ‘I’m yours for ten days,’ I mean it.

That’s how I approach work, too. I think of myself as the crew chief. Like at an aid station, I ask: What do you need? How can I set you up to succeed? There’s no ego. Just support. It’s about heart and hustle, too.

Ultra running isn’t about medals. It’s about showing up when it’s hard. It’s sharing a muddy trail with strangers who become your people. When someone’s hurting, you fall into step beside them. You give them your jacket. You say, ‘I’ve got you.’

You don’t have to finish first. You just have to keep on going. And when it’s your turn to fall back and help someone else get there — that counts just as much.

Claire Robinson-White is an executive assistant at UVM Health - Home Health & Hospice. She has been with us since 2024.