PICKUPS with Justine Fédronic

Earlier this month we marked National Girls & Women in Sports Day by shining a spotlight on Level the Playing Field, an initiative by &Mother and Cofertility, dedicated to advancing fertility freedom for women in sports.

Among &Mother's incredible team is Justine, a longtime supporter who has been wearing Hettas since our launch over a year ago. An Olympian herself, Justine has joined &Mother with a mission: to reshape the landscape for women in sport. With her abundance of experience, Justine brings a unique perspective to this Pickups segment that you don't want to miss.

How does running make you feel? 

From the very beginning days of playing chase on the playground, running has made me feel powerful and free, rooted in my own body and mind. My running has evolved quite a bit from my time as a pro 800m athlete and is now all about playfulness, adventure, and connection to myself and my community. As a kid and a young adult, running unlocked my imagination and was the type of meditation I needed to dream. It's been fun reconnecting to that lately. 

Name a woman who inspires you.

I just spent a few days with my grandma for her 90th birthday, and she is still such an energetic and unapologetically unique soul. You would never be able to guess her age, or her life history. Consistent movement has always been a part of her life and I hope that at her age, I'll also be the instigator of the dance party.  

What’s something you thought you couldn’t do, but did? 

After I retired from my elite track career, I felt burnt out and bitter and didn't really have a desire to run or chase athletic goals. It felt impossible to heal my relationship with the sport that raised me. It's been challenging to find a new rhythm that feels good and to let go of some expectations and perceptions that don't serve me anymore! I'm proud of how I've intentionally shaped my life since retiring from my elite career, and reset my perception of my pro track career in a healthy way - it's scary and uncomfortable to evolve your identity and your relationship with a sport that shaped your life!

What song gets you fired up before a run?

I'm currently battling the midwinter blues with a little Caribbean fusion by Naïka and Aya Nakamura. The sounds of tropical warmth in my ears bring a little color to the gloom and drizzle waiting for me outside. 

You’re at peak difficulty of a workout, race, or run—what one thought keeps you going?

It depends on the day, but "Make it to that next bush or marker" has helped me through quite a few hard workouts... it's all about breaking it into fathomable bits and then pressing on to the next one. I repeat "calm, cool, and collected" to myself and focus on my form to power through... and take a moment to appreciate how lucky I am to be in a healthy body, challenging myself to find my new limits. 

Which Hettas are you currently training in?

Alma Cruise! My running right now is all about exploration and enjoying where my feet take me. It's been fun to run new trails and roads, and be more focused on presence than on times and paces. 

You’ve recently started a new job at &Mother, can you explain a little bit about this organization?

&Mother is a nonprofit organization dedicated to breaking barriers that limit a woman’s ability to thrive in both career and motherhood, and we focus on demonstrating an equitable landscape through the lens of sport. We envision a world where athlete mothers are fully supported and celebrated, paving the way for a broader cultural shift in how we value and implement care infrastructure for mothers and families in the workforce. Our founder Alysia Montaño is an Olympian, Global Medallist, and 7-time US champion - in 2014 she competed at US Championships 8 months pregnant to shift the narrative around what women’s bodies are capable of and challenge how the industry considers motherhood and pregnancy.

What about &mother resonates with you and why is supporting this organization important to you? 

I'm a multicultural, multicontinental immigrant to the United States, and grew up in sport: I've been surrounded by resilient, nuanced women challenging the world to make more space for ourselves.  I'm really grateful to have grown up that way and witnessed the diversity that makes our world what it is. The women in my community have had such a wide range of life experiences, but the experiences of womanhood and motherhood still connect us, and I feel driven to progress our circumstances so we can truly explore our potential. I have three younger siblings, and when we moved to the states my mom didn't speak english, couldn't work due to her visa, didn't have family around or cultural familiarity, and yet she still found a way to build us rich, beautiful childhoods. Our work with &Mother feels like it's honoring the community of women who raised me.

What is your favorite thing about being a part of &Mother?

I love working with passionate women who have the vision and determination to challenge systemic change. It's powerful (and important!) to be actively creating the future we want for ourselves and the next generation.

Learn more about For All Mothers+