JOURNEY
GRIT • RESILIENCE • DETERMINATION
"If you have a body, you are an athlete" — Bill Bowerman, NIKE
•
THE MISSION: To inspire others to honor their bodies, unlock their power, and find joy in discipline.
•
"If you have a body, you are an athlete" — Bill Bowerman, NIKE • THE MISSION: To inspire others to honor their bodies, unlock their power, and find joy in discipline. •
01. Where It All Began
“From the moment my feet first hit the pavement, I was in love with running. As a little girl, I was always the fastest in my school—so fast that none of the boys wanted to race me. Losing to a girl? Unthinkable. For me, though, it wasn’t about beating anyone. It was about the freedom. The wind in my face, the rhythm in my legs, and the confidence that came with moving powerfully through space.
At 18, that feeling was ripped away from me. I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis, an autoimmune disease that attacked every joint in my body. I couldn’t run. I could barely walk. Bending my fingers and knees became painful, even impossible at times. For years, I felt disconnected from my body—grieving the movement that once came so naturally.
Yoga was my first step back. Gentle, grounding, and forgiving. Then I found boxing—and everything changed. Against my doctor’s advice, I started strength training and hitting the bag. It made me feel strong again. Powerful. Capable. I fell back in love with movement, and in the process, I started reclaiming my mobility and my identity. My body began to transform.”
02. Fighting For My Body
“Just as I found my rhythm again, I tore my rotator cuff. While I stepped away to heal, I decided to test something I hadn’t dared in years: I ran. My shoulder was healing, and my body felt ready. I laced up, not knowing what to expect—and found a part of myself I thought I had lost.
I returned to boxing and traveled to fitness retreats in Mexico and Nicaragua. But soon after, my shoulder pain returned, and I had to step back again. During the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, my studio shut down—and I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. I underwent a partial thyroidectomy and gave myself permission to rest and heal.
That’s when I discovered yoga sculpt—a blend of yoga, strength, and movement that gave me physical release and emotional clarity. I practiced it religiously for four years, and it brought me back to life in ways I can’t describe.
Then, in 2023, I received another life-altering diagnosis: atlantoaxial instability. The RA had spread to my neck, damaging my cervical spine and putting pressure on my nervous system. I was terrified. It felt like no matter how hard I fought to stay strong and healthy, something always came back to knock me down.”
03. Running For My Life
“But now, I’ve reclaimed my power.
I run for the girl who used to be the fastest.
I run for the woman who thought she might never move without pain again.
I run for every version of me that wanted to give up—but didn’t.
Running makes me feel alive again. It has introduced me to a vibrant, supportive community—especially through Nike. I found new friends, reconnected with old ones, and started training for races.
In 2024, I trained with Nike’s Project Moonshot for the New York City Marathon. It was one of the most inspiring experiences of my life. But I pushed too hard, too fast—and suffered a hamstring injury that forced me to defer.
The past 8 months have been dedicated to recovery. Physical therapy. Strength training. Rest. Rebuilding. And now, I’m back—training for Nike’s Half-Marathon in Los Angeles for the After Dark Tour 2025.
And I’m just getting started.”
—Courtlyn Jones
