“Brittany Runs a Marathon” Inspires Author of “Running with Walt”

How does a woman go from thinking a breakfast of champions is a half a pack of cigarettes and a pot of black coffee to running two or three marathons and an ultra marathon in a year?
 
When Shawn Tegtmeier was 36, she realized she smelled like a dirty ashtray and was always fighting with her scale. She candidly shared her story of how she quit smoking and developed a love for running in her new book, “Running with Walt: How a Chain-smoking Couch Potato Got Off the Couch,” which quickly became an Amazon #1 New Release.
 
When Tegtmeier heard about the new movie, “Brittany Runs a Marathon,” she was surprised to see her personal journey reflected in this film. Jillian Bell portrays Brittany, an unhappy young woman who decides to run the New York City Marathon to turn her life around. Brittany is encouraged by her brother-in-law and new friends, while Tegtmeier was motivated to try running by Walt, a parent on her sons’ travel soccer team. 
 
Marathon running is a growing trend for women. RunnerClick collected data from the largest study of recreational marathons and found that 45.7 percent of American marathon participants are women.
 
Tegtmeier gathered a group of friends to see this movie. She reports, “’Brittany Runs a Marathon’ exceeded my expectations. I completely related to her story, from her first run (she made it one block, I only made it a half a block), through all of her training to the actual marathon. The movie emphasized the need to set small goals and accept a little help from your friends. I highly recommend this movie not only for runners, but for everyone looking to get healthier and better their lives.”
 
“Brittany Runs a Marathon” was directed by Paul Downs Colaizzo, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, and was released on August 23, 2019 by Amazon Studios.
 
About Shawn Tegtmeier
 
After running her first 5K, Tegtmeier kept pushing her limits and went on to become a Certified Personal Trainer. She wrote her memoir, “Running with Walt,” to inspire other couch potatoes that they are more capable than they ever thought possible. Her story conveys this message to anyone who has doubted themselves: Don’t stop yourself before you start. She is currently writing her second book about how she continues to run while battling bone marrow cancer.
 

Contact Information

Shawn Tegtmeier

Author

Shawn Tegtemier, (815) 790-9191

shawn@shawntegtmeier.com