#whywerun - Jane Vongvorachoti

Jane Vongvorachoti - 2016 Olympic Marathon runner

We recently touched base with Jane to learn more about her incredible achievements, what's to come and her love for helping others and building an all inclusive community through her work with Run Higher Collective.

"I am a 2016 Olympic Marathon runner who represented Thailand. I grew up as a well rounded athlete, as my parents exposed me and  to allowed me to chose what sport or activities to try. I stuck with soccer or what you call football and made that a career up until the age of 28 years old, playing professionally.  But I always had running, and it was always a part of my development in soccer and in any sport. Running is natural, we do it from such a small age. I used running to help excel in soccer. My mindset was if I was faster and could last longer than others on the pitch, I would be able to have more playing time and would be able to focus and control the game more if I was not tired.

Today running means something different. It is time I get to spend on my own to clear my mind, to be free. It is also a time where I get to chat and talk to my husband about anything and everything and stroll my 7 month old along side. But my favorite part about running these days has been coaching runners. Since I have been able to achieve high levels of running and watched friends and family wanting to do the same- I felt I had the ability to motivate and inspire others to achieve their very best as well. As people naturally were amazed at my accomplishments, I felt drawn to coach more and more. I have been coaching for over 10 years in soccer and running and found that when I have seen my athletes succeed, it gave me as much sense of accomplishment as if I achieved my goals.

I always dreamed of forming my own team and coaching with all the elements that I wanted in a team. Due to Covid 19, I was able to create Run Higher Collective. The mission was to be able to keep the running community together. It eventually has become a safe space for anyone, family, friends and even pets. We are inclusive and a place you can find no intimidation. We offer education to make you not only a better athlete, but a better person through focusing on developing not only the body but the mind. The future of this club has no limits. We have included cycling and yoga practice into our list of activities. I cannot wait to develop more inclusive activities, partnerships and events for our community...the global community, not just here in the UK. 

As far as my running career goals, I am aspiring as we speak to get back onto the podium and compete at the top level in world class races again. I am so thankful for collaborations with companies like Fractel to support my development and the developing communities around sport."

You can follow Jane on Instagram here.