Tania Kinsella broke barriers last year in becoming the first woman of color to serve as NYPD first deputy commissioner. Now, she is helping young girls break their own barriers by prepping them for their participation in the Percy Sutton Harlem 5K during Harlem Week on Saturday.
Kinsella is mentoring a group of 29 NYC high-school girls as they prepare to run the iconic race — their first 5K ever. An avid runner herself, Kinsella has been motivating the teens to pound the pavement and reach their dreams.
All the girls are part of the New York Road Runners (NYRR)’s Run for the Future program, which introduces young women to running and wellness. Kinsella said she was thrilled when NYRR called her to see if she would be an ambassador and mentor for the program.
“They wanted me to help other young girls reach their running milestones, and I was all in,” the 44-year-old Staten Island resident said. “Running and mentoring are my two favorite things in the world, besides being a mother.”
Run for the Future is a free, six-week program that introduces 11th- and 12th-grade high school girls to the sport of running. No experience is required. They do training runs, and receive coaching, running gear, healthy snacks and a fitness kit during the season.
Kinsella knew right away that she wanted to help because she knows how challenging running can be for beginners, though she admits it is a challenge well worth it with so many benefits.
“When they reached out I knew that I had to somehow fit it into my schedule because like many people who start running, I didn’t start running long distances and loving it,” the commish explained. “I started running when I was 35 years old after I had my second child. It became not just a hobby but a way of life for me.”
The team at NYRR, which is a nonprofit organization dedicated to running and producing races, thought the commish was an ideal choice to lead the group of girls. Aside from her accomplishments within the NYPD, she’s also a six-time finisher of the TCS New York City Marathon and a member of the NYPD Run Club.
“She is a marathon runner, she has run our half marathon, she runs many of our races, and this year she will be of service to these young ladies and being an inspiration to them,” Ted Mettellus, NYRR’s senior vice president of events and race director, said.
Kinsella will, of course, be running alongside the girls, motivating the, throughout the race.
“They’re going to do amazing. It’s their race, their pace,” she said. “It’s not about pace and how well they do, it’s how they finish. They’re going to do amazing, and I can’t wait to be there to cheer them on.”
