Neighbors: Diane Lyons

Six years ago, Diane Lyons was not a runner. In fact, at the time, she actually found the idea of running for pleasure, laughable.

“I used to make fun of runners,” she says. “But, I’d always been very active, and once my friend convinced me to try it, I was hooked. Luckily, it became an outlet for all of my energy.”

Today, things are much different. Now a full-blown road warrior, Lyons has completed countless marathons, half marathons, triathlons and other organized runs. She uses her acquired love of running to inspire groups of kids to pick up the sport through her non-profit program, Shamrockers USA, which she says was formed rather unexpectedly.

After completing her first half marathon in 2007, Lyons’ son told her that he wanted to join her the following year, so the two began running together. When word of their neighborhood training sessions spread among his friends, Lyons, who had recently retired, found herself with a new full-time job: running coach.

“The next thing I knew, I was training seven 13-year-old boys to run in the Disney Half Marathon,” says Lyons. “I had no idea this thing was going to snowball like it did.”

Soon, more and more people were approaching Lyons, asking how they could get in on the action, and her small group of runners continued to grow. Lyons quickly realized that she had a unique opportunity to help improve the lives of young people through her running club.

The group picked out a team name, the Shamrockers (after Lyons’ Irish descent), bought matching shirts and even adopted Irish names. Lyons then registered the organization as a nonprofit and earned school board approval to present the program to local schools.

“I really found a unique niche,” says Lyons. “I’m able to attract the both athletic kids and the kids who would never play competitive sports, because it’s such an individual competition; it’s just you and a pair of shoes against the road.”

The group is split into two seasonal sessions, according to skill level, and each group trains weekly for various races, some of which are even held abroad.

Lyons’ goal is for each of her students is to complete a half marathon at the end of their training, which they accomplish by using her run-walk method that emphasizes the body’s natural running rhythm.

But, Lyons says the club is about more than just running. For many of the kids, it’s become something of a support group, where they can share any issues they might be having with a trusted peer or adult.

Shamrockers USA has already established chapters in five other cities, and Lyons hopes to be national by 2017. She’s currently in the process of searching for a local building, in which she plans to launch her latest extension of the program: Shamrockers University. Lyons hopes the program will be an extension of the trust network already established by the club that can offer teens a safe haven and place to learn valuable life lessons.

“This club teaches them so much about commitment, endurance, responsibility and self management,” says Lyons. “It teaches them that no matter what life throws at them, they can deal with it.”