NEPA Vital Signs - Summer Fall 2017 - 6

LACKMEDSOC.ORG

REBEKAH STILTENPOLE PHOTOGRAPHY

Feature

Sisters Layla (left) and Taylor
Stiltenpole (right) hit the road with their
grandparents, Ron and Eileen Stiltenpole,
and their uncle, RJ Stiltenpole.

It Runs in the Family
I

guess you could call us late bloomers!
There wasn't always a focus on health
and wellness in our family. In most
ways, it didn't start from the top down.
It started from the middle upward and
then back down.
Our son, RJ, started running while at
Scranton High School and graduated from
Marywood College with a BA in Exercise
Science and minor in Coaching. He is the
one who has championed a love of running
in our family and the entire community. It
happened, however, quite by happenstance!

the Scranton Running Co.'s Barrier Breaker granddaughters, Taylor and Layla, into the
program was born.
fold. They have eagerly participated since its
inception. As anxious as they are for school
Too many moons ago to count, I also ran to get out, that level of excitement goes hand
in high school. Well, between the inspiration in hand for this summer's session to begin!
from those cancer survivors along with poor
cholesterol and blood sugar numbers, I was
Let's face it; living in NEPA with all of
prompted to lace up again. While I wouldn't its incredible variations and focus on food
exactly say it was like getting back on a bike doesn't always make a healthy lifestyle
for me, in not much time I was able to do easy. But, we are much more conscious and
both 5k and 10k races! While my wife Eileen partake less often. Also, unlike our counthas long been an avid reader of nutrition less previous attempts at exercise, Barrier
labels, she never ran a day in her life. She Breakers has given us the motivation to
also made it clear she had no aspiration to get out the door!
do so. Nevertheless, with a desire to shed
some weight, she decided to join me and
We hope by example and a much greater
give the 5K Beginners program of Barrier emphasis on healthy living in society, our
Breakers a try. Well, not only did she lose family tree will continue to grow stronger
weight, but continued on and completed than ever before!
the 2015 Scranton Half Marathon!

When the Scranton Running Co. was just
in its infancy, RJ coached a group of breast
cancer survivors to run their very first 5K for
the Susan B. Koman Race for the Cure. While
we've always cheered him on throughout his
many races, watching him run arm in arm
with "Team Survivor" as they crossed that
That same year, again with RJ's vision,
finish line was both emotional and inspiring! Scranton Running Co.'s Generation Next Step
It also tossed the pebble into the pond that was started. A kids' summer running camp
would cause an incredible ripple effect and for ages 5-18 was the perfect way to bring our
N E PA

VITAL SIGNS

RON STILTENPOLE
is a Husband, Father, Grandfather
and running coach.

http://www.lackmedsoc.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NEPA Vital Signs - Summer Fall 2017