Elaine Gonzalez Johnson Inspires Women Like Her to Be in Motion

Elaine Gonzalez Johnson is the founder and executive director of Latinas in Motion, a community of women who encourage, inspire, and empower each other to get active and be well.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly a third of Latinas are physically inactive outside of work, and this can lead to higher rates of heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. “Latinas in Motion provides an atmosphere that contradicts these statistics and fosters a community of women living healthy lifestyles," the website notes. "We pride ourselves in exercise, good nutrition, and taking care of self.”

A native of Philadelphia, Gonzalez Johnson was active in college, but later stopped exercising. After giving birth to her first child, she started walking, then jogging. A friend encouraged her to enter the Broad Street Run.

Gonzalez Johnson did just that, not knowing that the run was 10 miles. She googled a training plan and made it to the starting line not knowing quite what to expect.

Race day was a revelation—“so many beautiful pockets of runners, and I got a medal,” she said. She noticed, though, that few of her 30,000 fellow finishers were Latinas.

“You can’t be what you can’t see,” she said. “I thought, let me create a group for women who look like me. I wanted women to be inspired to be in motion.”

At first, just a few women showed up, but the group grew steadily. Latinas in Motion now has over 5,000 members in 12 chapters, including one in NYC.

“When people see how excited you are to make change, they want to come along,” she said.

In 2017, Gonzalez Johnson organized the first Latinas in Motion Peace, Love and Run 5K in her North Philadelphia community, “a long way from other races in Philadelphia you might know” she said. The race is held every year in June.

When she faces challenges, Gonzalez Johnson reminds herself that “everything is figure-out-able” and that representation matters—especially to the next generation.

She reflected on the advice she would give to her 13-year-old self. “I would tell 13-year-old Elaine, ‘Every single thing you need is already inside of you,’” she said. A mother of a 14-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son, she is inspired to bring awareness of healthy habits to young people.

“If you can change your mindset," she said, "you can change your life.”

As we celebrate Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month, read more stories about Hispanic/Latinx runners and community leaders here.