The Run Staff

Founder and Lead Runner:
Dr. Dennis Godby, DrGodby@TheRun.org (bio)

Executive Director:
Dr. Rebecca Asmar, DrAsmar@TheRun.org (bio)

Volunteer Coordinator
Meghan O’Hara, Meghan@TheRun.org (bio)

Events Coordinator
Mary Rita Ely, MaryRitaEly@TheRun.org (bio)

Muscle Recovery Specialist
Michael Gillan, mgillan@hotmail.com (bio)

Speakers Coordinator

Dr. Holly Lucille, DrLucille@The Run.org (bio)

 

Bios:

Dr. Dennis Godby, ND, Founder of The Run Having become a naturopathic doctor at the ripe age of 48, I feel extraordinarily grateful to be able to practice this incredible medicine and to witness so many patients transform their lives in pursuit of health and happiness. The Run is the culmination of 32 years and 45,000 miles of running. My first adventure run, while in college studying exercise physiology and nutrition, was a 37 day, 1,420 mile solo journey from Corvallis, OR to Calgary, Canada to promote exercise and nutrition (see Runner’s World magazine, February, 1981). Then in 1984-85, I ran 3,006 miles from San Francisco to Washington, D.C. during 16 weeks of winter to promote peace and justice in Central America. In the media, this event became known as a “run of conscience”. After receiving an M.A. in Theological Studies, I taught high school social justice/religious studies classes for the next seven years. And, since graduating from the National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland in 2004, I have been practicing in my midtown Sacramento clinic. I feel very blessed to be working with the leadership team of this run. My classmate and friend, Rebecca Asmar, has jumped in with both feet; Leah Olsen, ND4, has inspired and given me hope from the very beginning; my sister and first friend, Mary Rita Ely, has joined us as the events coordinator and her son, Jonas, will run the continent at my side; my friend Dietitian Meghan has agreed to be the volunteer coordinator; and finally, my son, Isaiah, has provided essential encouragement over the last 8 years to run the USA again – this time as father and son.

Rebecca Asmar, ND, Executive Director of The Run Naturopathic medicine was not the “expected” course for me, having grown up in the Connecticut suburbs.  A science and math geek from the start, there were no nature walks or meditation/yoga retreats in my childhood.  Instead, I majored in English at Amherst College and went straight into magazine publishing in midtown Manhattan.  Yet, in 1999, I entered the National College of Natural Medicine looking for something more in the field of medicine—human relationships and health solutions.  In the halls of NCNM, I met my classmate, Dennis Godby, not knowing that he would become my partner in this historic event and in pursuing those two goals for our profession. Since graduation, we have gone our separate ways.  I completed a residency with Dr. Dickson Thom in January 2008.  Then, I opened Bambú Clinic in downtown Portland, OR.  The mission of my office has been to provide a place for patients, students, staff and doctors to co-create a healthcare community.  Dr. Godby has been in practice in Sacramento, CA. When I received his email about The Run, I knew without hesitation that I had to get involved.  Running has been my form of meditation since high school, but, since, I have also taken up Ashtanga yoga and salsa dancing.  Whatever the form, movement brings peace and grounding forcefully into my life.  Dr. Godby and I are taking the powerful triad of movement, human relationship, and health solutions to the streets of America.  See you there!

Meghan O’Hara, Registered Dietitian, Health Counselor, Volunteer Coordinator for The Run I am extremely excited to be a part of this amazing movement! I have watched so many patients get well using Naturopathic Medicine and believe that everyone should know of their options for healthcare. Many people do not realize that there are natural alternatives to drugs and surgery that have been proven effective after hundreds of years of use. I believe that there are so many tools to health and wellness that are under-utilized in conventional medicine. One of the biggest keys to health is the food we eat, as it is meant to nourish each and every cell of our body. But instead of providing us with nutrition, many of the “foods” we eat do not nourish us at all, but rather are empty calories that are taxing our body and robbing us of the essential vitamins and minerals our bodies need to function properly. After being diagnosed with celiac disease at a young age, I developed a natural curiosity about the impacts of the food we eat on our bodies. As I studied food and nutrition in college and became a Registered Dietitian, I saw even more strongly the association between what we eat and how our bodies function. I next went on to study at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York City to gain a more holistic view of health and wellness and to focus on preventing disease. I am currently working at the Sacramento Naturopathic Medical Center with Dr. Dennis Godby and am so glad to be a part of spreading the word about Naturopathic Medicine! I have hopes to attend naturopathic medical school in the next few years to become a ND myself.

Mary Rita Ely, Ovarian Cancer Survivor, Events Coordinator for The Run In 2006, having recently completed a marathon, a backpacking trip, and other Alaskan summer adventures, I was devastated to learn that my recent abdominal discomfort was actually late stage ovarian cancer. After immediate surgery, my family, friends, and I began to assemble my team of integrative medicine practitioners and 4 years later, I am a grateful ovarian cancer survivor. I was fortunate to have been familiar with, and have access to, naturopathic medicine and the use of alternative approaches to healing. My brother, Dennis (Dr. Godby), has always been a resource and tremendous inspiration and I am delighted to share him with you on The Run! It is my hope that all Americans will eventually become more knowledgeable about the power of natural healing, preventative care, and integrative medicine. As an educator, I believe that our most natural learning occurs when we are engaged in our community and when serving others. The Run provides this opportunity by inviting individuals and groups to participate in a variety of capacities. So whether you’re a runner, musician, health practitioner or writer, a student, a teacher, elected official, or all of the above, we look forward to you joining this national community called The Run!

Michael Gillan, Muscle Recovery Specialist
Michael  (age 65)  is from Australia and a jack of all trades on The Run! He is traveling with the running team and when he is helping muscles to recover,  he is our general helper around the RV doing all kinds of fix-it jobs to keep things running smoothly.  He is also The Run photographer doing a collection of images and video on the road for later use.

Michael has had many years experience in ultra long distance marathon running and walking, while involved in this he developed a different recovery system which has the capacity to increase the rate of recovery thereby increasing the runners or walkers performance.

He has worked with many top ultra marathoners both in Australia, and Europe, these include Jesper Olsen (World Runner) www.worldrun.org

When not doing this he is busy writing articles, websites and manuals on the use of Light Manual Muscle Relaxation on pre-movement for older people to reduce falls, and the relief of occupationally caused aching legs caused by too much standing, sitting and walking.  For more information, please visit his websites: Recovery After Sport and Aching Legs Relief.

 

Kristin Odegaard, Support Person for The Run

Hi, I’m Kristin Odegaard from Portland Oregon, and the sole female on the trip across America.

The idea of adventure has always played a strong role in my life, I have backpacked solo across Germany, Austria, Australia and Bali, where I tried to surf “Impossibles” as a novice.  The surfboard was repaired in the end.  Here I find myself again asking for more.

My position is that of driver/cook…….and what ever else needs to be done in and around the recreational vehicle called ‘Georgie boy’ we are traveling in.

I am a Naturopathic medical student with a background in research of Microbiology and Immunology, balanced with liberal arts.  I also have become an avid runner to combat the stress that goes with daily living.

I am excited to be a part of the team on this journey as having been in the sheltered in the community of Portland compounded with the challenges of medical school of which I am taking a sabbatical from them.  The time travelling across the country has given me an opportunity to see what the rest of our country experiences and has served as a valuable lesson for me to apply in my future endeavors.

The CDC reports childhood obesity as having tripled in the past 30 years.  Our future generation that will be affected the most. Our country is in dire of help right now!  If we can inspire any one individual to get moving, be it running, biking, walking, dancing,…. it will be all worth the effort! This has been a challenging journey, and we have had unexpected trials confronting us but we have found solutions by working together as a team.

In the words of a talented and brave woman:
“Some stories don’t have a clear beginning, middle, and end.  Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment, and making the best of it, without knowing what’s going to happen next.  Delicious ambiguity.”  – Gilda Radner

 

Holly Lucille, ND, Speakers Coordinator for The Run Dr. Holly Lucille, aka “Dr. Holly” is a nationally recognized licensed Naturopathic Physician, author and educator. She graduated from the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine where she received the prestigious “Daphne Blayden Award” for her “Commitment to Naturopathic Medicine, academic excellence, compassion, perseverance, a loving sense of humor and a positive, supportive outlook”. She has had the incredible opportunity to do many things with her education. The biggest hat that she wears is that of a CONSUMER ADVOCATE.  Whether it be as a practitioner, a consultant in the natural products industry, a prolific author of health care, or in any of the various media venues she appears, Dr. Holly strongly believes in empowerment to the people she serves.“I am in the business of empowerment. We live in a high information society but it is the understanding that I care about…I strive to put the dots really close together so people can connect them and own their own healthcare!”