DELPHOS, OH (WLIO) - Passionate, caring and a true leader are three things that come to mind when describing one Mandy Weimerskirch.
"She's always looking to lead in whatever role she's in. She's passionate about what she does, and she truly cares about when she has something that a task that she has to do," told Jeff Unterbrink, Optometrist, and Mandy's brother.
According to Weimerskirch's brother, surprisingly, running wasn't always a hobby for Mandy.
"So, my brother's right, I wasn't really into running sports. Doing sprints and stuff for basketball was my least favorite thing of all of sports. However, after you go to college, have some kids and realize that Fitness is important to stay fit, I started running," said Mandy Weimerskirch, founder of the Delphos Running Club.
After finishing school and returning back to the Delphos community, Mandy now shifted her focus on re-networking and finding a way to give back.
After finishing school and returning back to the Delphos community, Mandy now shifted her focus on re-networking and finding a way to give back.
There wasn't an organization that I just loved to join, so I created my own and why I called it run for a reason, is it's kind of a little bit for everybody. You can either come up here just to exercise, you can come up here to exercise, then go inside the rustic and have a drink, socialize with friends, plus the giving back part, and we're asking for donations. There's a reason for everyone," added Weimerskirch.
Fast Forward 11 years, the running club has raised over $100,000 donating countless money to area nonprofits, while averaging 150 participants a week since coming together in 2014 but Weimerskirch's impact doesn't end there.
The running club has raised over $100,000 donating countless money to area nonprofits.
"There are so many people and examples that have come to me, mostly privately, and said I couldn't even walk a couple blocks, and I joined the running club, and now I can finish three miles, and I started jogging, or I did my first 5k every time I hear one of those stories, It's so heartwarming. I didn't do this to necessarily change people's lives, but every time I hear one of those stories, it gives me the motivation to keep going and going year after year," stated Weimerskirch.
Mandy Weimerskirch, 2025 Jefferson Award Winner.
