Runner, author, entrepreneur, mother, and wife are a few of the hats Rochelle Lindsey currently wears. Her huge smile and sweet voice are familiar to many running around the Louisville area, and Rochelle brightens everyone’s day that runs into her.
From North Chicago, Illinois, Rochelle had to become a survivor early on. Her deep faith has allowed her to see herself as someone who has overcome, not just survived. For more of this deeply personal part of Rochelle’s story, see her book Overcomers Versus Survivors.
She didn’t discover running until she left for Oral Roberts College in Oklahoma. Her church leader had gone there and spoke highly of it, so she visited and fell in love. It also fit in with her desire to move away.
At Oral Roberts, every student is required to take a PE class, and their annual 5K Fun Run can replace the final. Hating exams, Rochelle jumped on that opportunity and ran the whole thing without any training of any kind! It was her first time running.
A little while later, a friend was looking for a running partner, and Rochelle joined her, despite the summer heat in Tulsa, running after class and early in the morning. As Rochelle describes, she “just ran.” No watch, no plan, just covering the ground with her own two feet, working off stress.
Meeting her future husband Brian was her gateway into running more seriously as well as her path to Louisville. The brother of a college friend and avid runner, he already lived in Louisville but would visit his sister, and in turn Rochelle, in Oklahoma. After a long distance relationship while Rochelle was working in Tulsa as a teacher, she moved to Louisville a year later and they got married in 2007 and are now blessed with three beautiful children.
Brian taught Rochelle about watches and training plans, and her running ebbed and flowed at first, completing the KDF Triple Crown, and then stopped after their second child between work and parenting. After her third child, their “bonus” child, Rochelle made running a priority again, joining the Fleet Feet Running group and Brian run the Boston Marathon really inspired Rochelle and made her determined to run her own.
Her chance came when asked to hand out flyers for the 2015 Indy Monumental Marathon, which would earn her a free entry. The stars aligned, and although she didn’t train then the way she would have liked now, she finished in just under 5 and a half hours. Fast forward a few years, and Rochelle tackled that same marathon again in 2019, her way, and enjoyed every step.
“I love Ponya Bands because it is the first head band that actually have worked for me and a brand that I have actually stuck with,” said Rochelle. “I have seen a huge difference every time I have worn my Ponya Band when I am out for a run. They are super stylish and cute but also they are great for me especially when I am running.”
Her favorites are the Bamboo-Lined Sweatbands. “They have been the game changer for me!,” she explained. “They are super absorbent and keeps sweat out of my eyes and running down my face which has been a huge problem for me when I am running.”
These days, she’s still running, completing virtual events, starting a new venture, Rochelle’s Jewelry Store & More, and raising her children. The demands of virtual learning right now fit in well with her 13 years as a teacher. The epitome of resilience, faith, and kindness, Rochelle is a much appreciated member of our Ponya community. She is a superhero for sure!