Yolanda Holloway Stevens Explains How She Overcame The Fear of Doing Hard Things

by | Mar 2, 2022 | Podcast

When the doctor told Yolanda Holloway that she needed to turn her life around, it was the beginning of her endurance sports journey. What started as a few steps around the block led the Florida native to one of her greatest running adventures in Antarctica for the White Continent Marathon.

The greatest lesson for her has been building up mental toughness.

 There was a time when she didn’t believe that she could do this, but each race pushed her limits. She believes that anything is possible and we can do hard things. To date, she has completed 70 marathons and 33 half marathons.

You will learn that anything is possible in this episode, Yolanda’s 2-day experience in Antarctica, taking swimming classes for her first triathlon and how running has shaped her.

Episode Highlights:  

  • How she started a 3-mile route around the neighbourhood
  • Running her first 5k and feeling motivated
  • Progressing to her first 10k
  • Racing in her first marathon in Disney
  • Her greatest running adventure, the White Continent Marathon
  • Taking swimming classes for her first triathlon
  • Her bucket list to race in all 7 continents

Guest Bio: 

Yolanda Holloway Stevens began her journey into endurance sports in 2012. What merely started as a desire to get active after two ACL surgeries and subsequent weight gain, turned into attaining goals beyond her wildest dreams.

In April 2012, Yolanda completed her goal of finishing a 5k race. The feeling of accomplishment sparked a fire that led her to register for her first half marathon in December later that year. Since 2012, she has completed 17 marathons and 33 half marathons. Her greatest marathon adventure occurred in January of 2020, where she traveled to Antarctica to run 26.2 miles on the White Continent.

In 2016, Yolanda set out to conquer a new challenge…triathlon! There was just one problem. She didn’t know how to swim. She registered for her first race, then set out to find a coach to teach her how to swim. Yolanda finished her first sprint triathlon in 2017, and has since completed in 3 half Ironman races, 2021 USAT National Championship-Olympic Distance, and crossed the finish line of her first full Ironman race in Cozumel, Mexico in November 2021.

Yolanda is a mother of two, and works as a Senior Director of Human Resources for a multimedia publishing company, and is a 4th year brand ambassador for Betty Designs.

Connect with Yolanda

Connect with Yolanda on Instagram 

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