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I have been a member of Checkers AC since 1987.
I served as President for 6 years, took a 5 year break and then was re-elected for another 6 years finally stepping down and becoming an Assistant Coach under Head Coach Vicki Mitchell for Checkers AC.
I received the Tom Steele award twice in 1996 and again in 2009.
I have been involved with The University at Buffalo Athletic program since the early 90?s, especially with Track & Field, Cross Country and Wrestling.
I worked the NCAA Track & Field Championships back in 1998. I?m currently running the Checkers Youth Track program on Tuesday nights.
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Hi, my name is Katie Orlowski-Williams. I am on the Checkers board, and I love it! My passion for
running began during my six years of service in the U.S. Air Force where I taught survival skills. After the
military I finished college in Omaha Nebraska and taught there for 6 years. I was surprised on how much
I loved living in Nebraska. I missed home though and decided to move back to Buffalo to be closer to my
large family. I taught in North Tonawanda Public Schools for a few years before deciding to change
careers. I now work for the Social Security Administration in Niagara Falls and have worked there for
over 10 years. I joined checkers many years ago and am so glad I did! It wasn't long before I noticed
Checkers was way more than just a running club. I have met some of my best friends here. I enjoy
recruiting new members and am always available to answer any questions you may have.
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My running background:
- a. Started in 10th grade in high school (Amherst HS) after running the 1 mile Presidential Physical Fitness test in PE Class. The XC coach (Mr. Bob O'Donnell), asked me to join the XC team late September. Ran XC and outdoor T&F. I was not very good, and honestly did not enjoy it much at that time. I am forever grateful for Mr. O'Donnell and Mr. Tichenor (track coach) for encouraging me. I was not very committed, and definitely did not 'get' what it meant to be a runner, let alone a student-athlete.
- b. I did not have plans of running in college..but ...
- c. I was given the greatest opportunity to run for Dr. Jack Daniels at Cortland, who saw something in me and developed it. I grew to love the very movement of running. I grew to love training, and thrived on competition. This grew into continuing running post collegiately.
- d. I ran professionally for about 7 years. Most of my career I ran for Brooks, but also competed for Nike, Reebok, and I ended my competitive career with Fila.
- e. My college experience in athletics shifted my career direction. I was a Physical Education Major and Music Minor and planned to teach high school. However, through the mentorship of Jack, and my studies, I fell in love with Exercise Physiology and the cardiovascular system. I love the puzzle of the body, and figuring out the best way to help each person develop their abilities. I love the science behind training, but the art of designing for various people to help them reach their goals. And, I value the opportunity to hopefully have a positive influence on others.
How I learned about Checkers:
When I was teaching and coaching at Holy Angels, I met Becky Heuer Carroll -she was coaching at Nardin Academy, and her then boyfriend Bob Carroll was coaching Checkers. We started talking at our meets, and we and started to connect for a couple of runs here and there. I would go to some Tuesday track practices early and run my workout, and then hang out with Becky. I did the majority of my training by myself - I enjoyed the solitude of my training, and I was very particular about the execution of my training plans. I did not want to subject anyone else to my very strict protocols, so I rarely ran with other people outside of an occasional run with Becky.
How I got involved my role of coaching:
While Bob Carroll was still coaching Checkers, we had the interest from a lot of members to have a marathon program. I started the Marathon training program as a side program to Bob's track training. We all met on Tuesdays, we would follow through Bob's warmups, and then the marathon group followed the training plans I wrote for their goal marathon. When Bob & Becky moved to Maine, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to take over coaching all aspects of the club. Tuesday evenings are the highlight of my weeks.
What would you tell a new runner who is thinking of joining Checkers?
I feel like everyone in our club says this, 'We are a club for everyone. All levels of running, walking, new, or experienced.' And apparently we have big social group in our club (I am not a good example of that!). For someone that is looking to improve fitness, learn the basics of a just how to get started into running, meet other awesome people, hangout with good quality individuals, or compete at a very high level, Checkers truly has a place for everyone.
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Over 25 years ago, when I was a high school runner, Checkers' running club took me on Sunday long runs and showed me the comradery, joy, and adventure that running can bring to someone's life.
From these early days of running, I have not stopped. I ran at the University at Buffalo where I set four school records and qualified for NCAA D1 Cross Country Nationals.
Post college I have won Buffalo Runner of the Year three times and this past year I was USATF's Masters Runner of the year.
As much as I enjoy running, I also love supporting the community as well. I am on the board for 2 area races and have been coaching high school XC and track for over 17 years.
My coaching philosophy for high school athletes is to try to make them lifelong runners. Every person can find joy in the running community.
Whether it is building a network of friends to run with, accomplishing a distance goal, or running a personal best time, everyone can achieve success at their own level and be proud of themselves and their personal growth.
My goal as a checker's board member is to help runners find a community that will support them to achieve their goals and find a place where they can grow and learn about running.
Being a Checker's member has helped me do this and it is time for me to pay it forward and do the same for others!
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RUNNING BACKGROUND:
5K personal PR: 21:15, Mississippi Mudd's 5K, 8/18/2007
Half marathon personal PR: 1:43:34, Erie Half Marathon, 09/18/2011
First race: St. Gregory the Great 'The Great Race' 5K, 29:04, overall - 533/814, age group (45 - 49) - 78/99
Last race: Shamrock Run 8K, 42:18, overall - 629/3929, age group (65 - 69) - 14/88
First year of running: total number of races - 30, total ran - 1
Last year of running (2019*): total number of races - 510, total ran - 2
Most races ran in a year - 2008, 40
Total: number of races ran - 391, miles ran - 1,382.36, amount of money spent on races (includes Steph) - at least $11,868, number of running shoes - countless, beers,
hot dogs and pizza consumed - enough, fbombs dropped - indetermined
Checkers Board member - 2008 to 2012
* last full year before pandemic
WHY/WHO GOT YOU TO JOIN CHECKERS?
The wife...because I got fat!
HOW YOU GOT INVOLVED IN THE SPECIAL TASK YOU PERFORM FOR OUR CLUB?
At a board meeting, they were looking for volunteers to man the Facebook page and I just stuck my hand up. And the rest became (and still is) history.
WHAT WOULD YOU TELL A NEW RUNNER WHO IS THINKING OF JOINING CHECKERS?
Awesome people, awesome races, awesome beer!
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I started running track in junior high. I began running cross country along with track at Kenmore East and actually held the school indoor mile record (5:21) for a while. After graduating, I got into road races; I've run 234 of them to date. In 2005, I went into race directing with the Lindsay's Legacy 5k, which I help organize with my good friend, Bonnie MacIver-Mariani. I am also on the board of directors for the Buffalo Marathon and Western New York Running Hall of Fame. Because I had some free time, I volunteered for the Girls on the Run 5k race committee.
Why you joined Checkers?
I joined Checkers to meet other runners and to glean tips on how to improve my running. Mission accomplished! After that, I eventually saw a notice on the Checkers website in February 2008 that the club was looking for a membership database administrator. I applied, was accepted, and have been serving in that role ever since.
Why did you join the board?
I was asked to. Because I was attending board meetings to provide membership updates, the board felt it would make sense to have me attend the meetings in an 'official capacity.' I volunteered to spell Paul Wandel as club secretary in 2009 and I'm still at it.
What you have done or would like to do while on the board?
Since joining, I've been able to contribute some ideas that have taken hold. Working with Herman, we began posting member contact information on the website. We also instituted credit card processing for memberships. I had a blast email tool that I began using to send messages to the club. I conceived the Checkers Challenge track meet and the Race to Savings program. I got the online board election and online club surveys going. But I feel my biggest contribution may be proposing we have a Western New York Running Hall of Fame. Tom Donnelly thought this was a good idea and together we made it happen.
Moving forward, I hope to continue contributing and supporting useful ideas to bring value to our members and maintain Checkers' status as the best and largest running club in Western New York.
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My running background:
Started running at 41 and achieved every goal I set out to do.
Why/who got you to join Checkers?
Kathy Melling asked me to join when Checkers needed another female for a team. At the time I was running by myself and did not think I wanted to join a club. That was 25 years ago!
How you got involved in the special task you perform for our club?
I started taking race photos to help Joan Crouse who was editing our one-page newsletter at the time. I would be at most of the races with her hanging out and she asked the board to buy me a camera so I could help her. We wasted time and money on film and developing because the cameras were not fast enough to capture the speed of the runners.
What would you tell a new runner who is thinking of joining Checkers?
Train with runners in the club with the same ability and never try to run with the faster ones or expect them to wait for you. Just go out and be yourself, train to see how good you can get. Keep it personal and you will achieve more by watching yourself not others.
Favorite running photo:
Breaking 6 minutes in the mile at the master's Indoor Championship in Boston. Lucky for me, a Checkers member caught me at the finish line in a photo. Proof!
Molly's photo is really my all-time favorite. | |
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I have been running since I was 19. My older brother talked me into it.
Most of the time I ran 2 times a week and did maybe 2 races a year.
n 2004 at the age of 45 I decided to train for and run my first Marathon.
In 2005 I joined Checkers AC (I saw a lot of those shirts at races). The track workouts improved my 5K time by a minute.
Diane Sardes asked for someone to help with the website. I guess I got stuck with that for 16 years.
I enjoy not just the running in WNY but also the volunteering.
Let us hope there will a Marathon Water stop this year where I can volunteer like I have been for the last 10+ years.
In the summer I dabble in Triathlons, although swimming is not my strong suit.
In the winter I like to check out the local ponds for some speed-skating. February I normally do in Winter Triathlon in Ottawa. But unfortunately, not this year...
This year will be a special one since I will become a grandfather in June.
I also will be directing the 10th Telegraph Road Race this year.
By the fall I hope to be running in the Upstate XC series. It is a great way to bond with my fellow Checkers members.
I joined the board to help with the numerous activities the club is involved in.
I plan on helping with the awards banquet and the cross country.
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I am entering my 30th year of racing and am glad to be part of the Checkers team.
My PR's as a masters runner are: Mile 4:44 5K 16:09 8K 26:26 half marathon 1:15 Marathon 2:46.
I am most proud of everything running has given me including many friendships, team championships and meeting my wife Amy.
Together we have made each other better and have won numerous titles in our 50's including 1 Mile titles in Pittsburgh, Cleveland Canandaigua and Buffalo, Brooklyn and the Fifth Avenue Mile.
Recently we have started doing national races and we have won national Grand Prix titles as well as USATF Niagara Masters Runner of the Year.
My hope is to continue to stay healthy, train well and compete well into my 80's.
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I started running with my dad around the age of 5. My sister was born that summer and I think my mom wanted a break and sent me to join my dad at the track. Little did she know she was helping to ignite my passion for running. I also enjoyed spending the time with my dad who was an avid runner. As I got better, he allowed me to join him on the bike path as well.
In 5th grade I was introduced to cross country, which I love even more than track. In middle school I participated in track and some field events, but my body was built for distance running.
My first road race, the Canal Fest, was the summer before my freshman year of high school. After that I remember looking forward to reading Michael Bebe's column in the Buffalo News on Sundays so that I could plan what road race I was going to participate in that month.
In high school I ran cross country and track at Williamsville North before they had a rubberized track. My junior and senior year, I participated in steeplechase after they allow high school girls to compete in the event. I even held my schools record for a while. My senior year of high school we had to do an inquiry project and I chose to answer the question: What does it take to run a marathon? As part of my research my dad drove me to Canada to interview Bill Rodgers who we found out would be at the Convention Center at the end of the Niagara Falls International Marathon.
For my first year of college I attended and ran cross country at Canisius College. After that I transferred to UB and was lucky enough to be coached by Vicki Mitchell. I do not think I realized how lucky I was until recently when I listened to a podcast entitled D3 The Glory Days. I was sure to thank her for the positive ways she affected my running and life in general.
While at UB I took classes to get my coaching certification. I even went back to my high school to do an internship with my coach. Right around the same time I had decided to sign up for the Buffalo Marathon but was training by myself. It was one of my students parents, Chuck Fried, who encouraged me to join Checkers. I attended track practice at Crosby Field and went on long runs with a Checkers group on the weekends. My favorite part was going out to breakfast afterwards and getting to know everyone.
After completing my first marathon I moved to NYC for about 6 years. While there I oversaw a running club that accommodated people of all abilities. At the height of our membership, we had about 300 runners in Central Park on a weeknight. In addition to coordinating runs I was also in charge of our volunteer work: NYC half marathon water station, Girls on the Run, Police Athletic League, NYRR, etc.
When I returned home, I immediately rejoined Checkers. I was warmly invited back in by Kathy Reynolds to the Thursday morning group and Ray Ernst to the Saturday morning group at Bond Lake. Sometime after that Tom Droz was looking for a volunteer coordinator. I shared my experience and interest in the position with him and the rest is history. I loved the volunteer coordinator position and naturally became more involved in helping Checkers.
After my continued involvement with the club and all that I had learned from Tom over the years I decided to run for the board last year. Since joining I have helped with the virtual awards banquet, our new scholarship and anything anyone needed a hand with. This year I will be partnering with Mary to see what happy hour/social events we can create. I look forward to continuing to serve the club!
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