Volunteer of the Month | ATC | Atlanta Track Club

April 2020 - Courtney Strosnider

Congratulations to our April Volunteer of the Month, Courtney Strosnider! Courtney has been volunteering with Atlanta Track Club since 2016 as part of our In-Training Programs. You'll see Courtney each your with her students at Hydration & Food Station 13 at the Publix Atlanta Marathon. This year, she was one of the crew chiefs at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Marathon in charge of the women's personal hydration tables.

Do you remember your first time volunteering with Atlanta Track Club? What brings you back?

My first experience volunteering was as a run lead for the In-Training for Publix Georgia Marathon (now Publix Atlanta Half Marathon) in Spring 2016. Run leading has been an absolute blast; I keep coming back because I love helping runners and walkers achieve their goals. I like helping them discover that they were capable all along.

My first time volunteering for an event was on March 20, 2016 at a hydration station for the Publix Georgia Marathon in Piedmont Park. This was the day I got "hooked" on volunteering at the Publix Atlanta Marathon. I saw so many of my friends and in-training participants out on the course that I knew I wanted to support them again the following year.

Do you have a favorite Atlanta Track Club event?

My favorite event is the AJC Peachtree Road Race. The Fourth of July is my favorite holiday! I love America! Running and celebrating this holiday are my two favorite things. Everyone is in a good mood; dressed in red, white, and blue; and Atlanta Track Club's after party at Park Tavern is really fun!

What is your favorite thing about volunteering with Atlanta Track Club? What brings you back?

The people! Joining Atlanta Track Club and volunteering is how I met so many of my friends here. It is really the gift that keeps on giving.

I get to serve the community that I love so much-the running and walking community!

What is your best memory from volunteering with Atlanta Track Club?

Volunteering at the Olympic Marathon Trials is a day I will never forget. Serving as the lead for the women's personal hydration station on Peachtree Street was amazing. Supporting and serving my running heroes was a dream come true. Hearing the spectators yell "USA! USA! USA!" as the athletes ran by brought tears to my eyes.

Do you have a favorite volunteer assignment?

Outside of volunteering at the Marathon Olympic Trials, I love serving as the crew chief at the mile 21 hydration and food station at the Publix Atlanta Marathon. For the last 3 years, my students (Georgia State University Exercise Science students) have volunteered with me at this station. We hand out bananas, water, and Powerade; we hang posters and we chalk the street with words of encouragement; and we bring noise makers and cheer for every single athlete.

Every year, I cry. I know what it feels like to be at mile 21 of a marathon and knowing that we get to encourage marathoners to help push them to the finish line makes me so proud. My students really enjoy it even though it is an early morning and long hours.

Do you do any volunteering in the community beyond Atlanta Track Club?

I am a volunteer coach with the Walton Youth Track Club. I coach youth cross country and track. Helping kids find their love for running is incredibly rewarding. While I love helping them get faster, my hope is that they find their passion for running and make it a lifelong sport.
I also volunteer at my church, Mount Bethel United Methodist Church.

I serve as a member of the "welcome team"-I greet members and guests as they arrive.
I am a member of the Missions Committee.
My husband and I open our home for the Discipleship Now weekend for the youth at our church. We serve as a host home that weekend.
When temperatures drop below freezing, my church opens the doors of the gymnasium and fills it with air mattresses for people who are homeless in Atlanta. My husband and I help set up the air mattresses for the guests.
"Night to Shine" at my parent's church in Virginia. Every other year, I fly up for this event. "Night to Shine" is prom for individuals with special needs. Every guest is treated like a king or queen-they dress up, ride in a limo, have a delicious meal, and dance the night away. This is an incredible event for this community. I love volunteering to be a "buddy" and dancing with new friends.

What do you do for a living?

I am a professor at Georgia State University in the Kinesiology and Health Department. I teach in the Exercise Science program.

Do you have any words of advice or wisdom for any new Atlanta Track Club volunteers?

Every volunteer job is an important one! We are all part of one big team!
Don't be afraid to try something new!
Have fun!!

Anything else you'd like us to know?

My husband and I love going on adventures. One of our first adventures together was sky diving. That was just the beginning; since then, we have gone scuba diving, ziplining, flyboarding, hot air ballooning, and raised a kitten.

Volunteer of the Month

Mizuno strives to be Atlanta's essential and reliable running brand. Since 2018 they have been committed to YOU, the essential and reliable volunteers who make our 30+ events and programs possible. They provide the Volunteer of the Month with seasonal apparel and discounted footwear to make all those hours spent on your feet more comfortable.

Previous Volunteers of the Month

"Volunteer of the Month" began in March of 2015 with the launch of our new website as a way to honor and recognize our amazing Atlanta Track Club volunteers who go above and beyond the call of duty. Congratulations to our Volunteers of the Month and thank you for all that you do!

March 2020 - David Henry

January 2020 - Bob Wells

December 2019 - Svetlana Dimova

November 2019 - Megan McGuigan

October 2019 - Jay Hallman

September 2019 - Komlan Tamatekou

August 2019 - Jamie Howard

July 2019 - Barbara Carroll

June 2019 - Larry McDaniel

May 2019 - Tim Parker

April 2019 - Deborah Wright

March 2019 - Shannon Parris