#MOTRstrong Stories: Bloomington Moms on the Run

In light of all the recent events surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, we at Moms on the Run want to share uplifting stories about what our members are doing to stay active, to continue to crush goals, and to remain in community as a team. If you or your team are doing something fun or unique or cool, please email us here. We'd love to share it with our members.

When your teammate is retiring during a pandemic, you find creative ways to show up to celebrate her — social distancing, of course. Bloomington Moms on the Run member Jan Gustafson reached a life milestone this month, retiring from her job at Cray, Inc. after 32 years. To celebrate Jan, her Bloomington team surprised her at  home with some fun goodies, messages and a car parade of honking horns.

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Coach Stacy Severson says her team intended to get cards or something special for Jan, and the idea just took off from there. "I got her husband's cell phone from a past race emergency contact. I coordinated with him to make sure that Jan would be home. She is super active so I wanted to make sure we didn't all show up when she was out for a run. He managed to keep her at home for us, but it wasn't easy!"

The Bloomington team met down the road from Jan's house and then drove to her culdesac. They all honked their horns and cheered, and Stacy texted Jan to come outside. They got out of their cars and delivered a fun sign, cards, wine, flowers, and some other treats/goodies. Several of the ladies who couldn't make the celebration also sent cards. They made sure to stay six feet apart, cheering from afar.

The surprise social-distance celebration was a blessing to Jan. "I was truly surprised to tears that day," she recalls. "And honestly I should not have been, because this group of women are not just my workout buddies but a truly supportive and caring group of friends.  I feel so blessed and lucky to have them."
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​"Jan is so giving of her time and talent to others," explains Stacy. "We didn't want this big occasion to go by without celebration. We got creative and found a way to show Jan how proud we are of her and how lucky we are to have her on our MOTR team!"

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