My Story
My name is Smita Warrier and I currently live in Charlotte, NC.
I have been an active person for as long as I can remember. I was the kid ever ready to sign up for a race or an impromptu session of soccer. As an adult, this segued into a passion for running, almost by accident. Shortly after the birth of my second son, a friend suggested I join her running group. Looking for a quick way to lose the baby weight, and make new friends, I signed up without a second thought. That was in 2008, which heralded the beginning of a lifelong passion for running! I signed up for my first half marathon in May 2009. I trained with my running group and finished it successfully, and there was no looking back after that.
Since then, I have done countless half marathons, 2 full marathons, several Half Ironmans and a few ultra-marathons. I like to push and challenge my boundaries, and aspire to do things that I may have previously thought difficult, or even impossible. I live by the credo, “ IF IT DOESN’T CHALLENGE YOU, IT WON’T CHANGE YOU”
My Mission
I grew up as a middle-class girl in Mumbai. It is a city like no other, where extreme wealth and abundance co-exist with extreme poverty and squalor side-by-side. I was very fortunate in having a loving family, and the means and ability, to get a great education. Sadly, a vast proportion of the residents of the city are not afforded the basic right of education. Girls are disproportionately affected by this. I fervently believe that education is the way to change one’s circumstances for the better.
To this end, in 2024 I have partnered with Sakhi, an organization that has worked tirelessly since 2008 to educate girls living in slums. My goal is to raise funds to further their impact in this very important field, and to also bring awareness to this cause and all the lives they impact.