Who is a mentor?

A mentor is a Team Asha alumni who has successfully trained and completed the Strides of Hope program and met or exceeded their fundraising goals. Mentors motivate and initiate newbies into the sport of running and the challenge of fundraising. From a training perspective, the mentor is a liasion between the coach and the runner. Mentors will help coaches identify the runners who need their immediate attention, while keeping track of each of their mentees’ training schedules and running paces. From a fundraising perspective, mentors will provide support and fundraising resources to their mentees. Hence the mentor acts as the first point of contact for the runner.

How does a mentor benefit?

A mentor gets an insight into the art of motivation and teaching. As many previous mentors will testify, it is fun to introduce a person to running and help him or her avoid the pitfalls that a beginner typically faces. But the ultimate joy and satisfaction is in seeing all their mentees complete their own marathons while at the same time raising funds for a great cause. In fact, mentors can make a huge difference; they get the double opportunity of helping newbies raise funds as well as raising funds themselves. Each mentor will go through a training session which focuses on effective mentoring.

How do I become a mentor?

If you’re interested in becoming a mentor, send an email to austin.marathon@ashanet.org. There will be a selection process right before the start of the training program. Once selected, you will need to attend a mandatory orientation session.