60 seconds with emily peters: “if you approach difficult situations with openness and wonder, you’ll be amazed at what happens.”

I've known Emily Peters for more than 20 years, dating back to our undergraduate days at Kenyon College; we met working together in the admissions office as overnight hosting coordinators. Back then, our very part-time jobs were to find (and sometimes cajole) a current student willing to host a prospective student for a ‘day in the life’ of a student and then an overnight visit. There were good stories and inside jokes I still remember to this day. Laughs aside, our job was to help a prospective student experience something new; in this case, a place we both loved and love to this day: Kenyon.

At toth shop, we spend a lot of time thinking about messaging: how the words we choose shape what people understand, believe, and experience. But some of the most important messaging isn't what we put in a content block on a website or drop in a newsletter – it's what we tell ourselves when we're standing at the edge of a new experience. 

After turning 40, Emily decided to run a 5k every month for a year. That decision eventually carried her all the way to the finish line of this year’s New York City Marathon, where she discovered that curiosity and wonder could take her just as far as discipline and determination.

What I love about Emily's story isn't simply that she ran 26.2 miles. It's that she gave herself permission to imagine a different version of what she was capable of and then showed up, month after month, to see what might happen.

I'm delighted to introduce you to my longtime friend, whom I’ve loved following from afar; a friend who has real and true things to say about starting before you're ready, listening to that little whisper in your heart, and letting life (and running) surprise you. 

– meg

toth shop (ts): Turning 40 inspired you to challenge yourself to compete in a 5k every month for a whole year. How did completing that shift your mindset about what your body and mind could do?

Emily Peters (EP): When I completed my first 5k in January 2025, just a few weeks after turning 40, I didn’t quite recognize myself. I had signed up last-minute, had to get up early on the final morning of my winter break, and it was a "feels like 18 degrees" kind of morning. And yet, it felt like I was being called to do it. Once I had that first race under my belt, I committed to the monthly challenge. In many respects, the individual 3.1-mile runs weren’t the hardest part—it was the discipline of showing up month after month that truly shifted my mindset. I realized I was capable of so much more than I gave myself credit for. I may not be the fastest runner out there, but I am consistent, resilient, and perhaps a little stubborn. When I set a goal, I get it done – no matter what.

ts: Now that you’ve conquered 26.2, how did the actual race experience compare to what you had visualized during training?

EP: I had visualized an enormous party through the streets of NYC where I felt strong, in control, and full of joy – and that is exactly what I experienced. The day met and exceeded every expectation. It was the ultimate celebration of all those months of early wake-ups, summer heat, endless blisters, mountainous piles of laundry, and so many bagels. 

I was exceptionally fortunate to work with a wonderful coach, Amanda Katz, who prepared me so well that I barely felt nervous standing at the start line. And the crowds! They delivered far more energy than I ever could have imagined. There were so many people, and the energy across all five boroughs was simply incredible.

ts: You ran the marathon for Team Nightingale to support Anpo Wicahpi (Pine Ridge Girls' School). Why is supporting this school and its mission in South Dakota so important to you?

EP: The Pine Ridge Reservation is one of the most economically challenged areas in the country, and as a result, many Lakota youth face immense hurdles in seeing a clear path forward. The Pine Ridge Girls’ School exists to change that trajectory – educating and empowering young Lakota women to give them a future where they can accomplish whatever they set their minds to. I would not be the person I am today without my own all-girls’ education. Supporting Anpo Wicahpi felt like the perfect way to pay forward the transformational gift, support, and confidence I was fortunate to receive at their age.

ts: What would you say to someone in the community who has a “secret, impossible dream" of their own – whether it's running a race or another personal milestone?

EP: You have to start before you’re ready. That teeny-tiny whisper you hear in your heart – we all know what it sounds like – that’s what you have to listen to, and you just have to begin. If we all waited until we were "ready," we would never start, and life would be lost in the waiting. It may be intimidating, and it will be hard, but you can’t let fear stop you from pursuing your dream. I love knowing that when I’m 80 years old, I’ll look back on the year I chose to be brave – when I didn't just listen to the whisper, but actually did something about it.

ts: Every person we interview answers this same question last – Mile 18 is generally considered to be one of the hardest miles in a marathon. You’re hitting a wall. You’re forced to dig deep. What’s mile 18 in your line of work, or at a point in your career, and what do you tell yourself when you find yourself in the middle of a mile 18?

EP: I’ll share a secret: I actually didn’t hit a wall during the NYC Marathon. That was a testament to my fueling and training, but even more so to the insatiable curiosity I brought to every single mile. When work or life gets challenging, it’s natural to put up walls as a defense mechanism. But if you approach difficult situations with openness and—dare I even say—wonder, you’ll be amazed at what happens. During training, the longest run I had completed was 20 miles. When I crossed the 20-mile mark in the Bronx on race day, I thought, “Okay, here we go. This is uncharted territory – one step at a time, let’s see what this feels like.” I felt that exact same way when I transitioned from admissions work to communications work. I was stepping into unfamiliar territory, but I knew I wanted to be there. So, I kept my chin up, stayed open, asked questions, and put in the work.

My life motto is to always be open to life surprising you, and training for 26.2 lived up to that in every possible way.