JANIS COOK

Janis Cook has been a member of the Pine Belt Pacers for almost two years, and is an inspiration for all those who are beginning to run. Since beginning running, Janis has made great strides, through her positive attitude and obvious advances in physical fitness, all those who see her want to know her secret, for which she answers, "RUNNING!"

Janis, an athlete herself, comes from a family of athletes. Her two sons, Jeff and Josh Cook, both played collegiate sports. Josh played collegiate soccer, while Jeff played baseball. Jeff continued on to play professional baseball as well. Janis has always had a desire to be physically fit, and had previously focused on walking as her main source of exercise. But it was her son, Jeff, who challenged her to increase her exercise routine and incorporate running. So in the spring of 2007 she began running, and fell in love with this great sport.

She continued running and increasing her running distance, then began running 5K races almost every weekend. She loves 5K’s because it helps motivate her running workouts during the week. Since beginning running she has run almost twenty 5K races, placing in the top three in her age group in many of these races. Also, in 2007 she completed the 5-mile "Hobble Then Gobble" race on Thanksgiving Day, and her longest race to date is the 10K "Azalea Run" in Mobile. She also has plans this fall to run her first half-marathon in New Orleans.

Janis will be celebrating her 50th birthday this fall in Hawaii, where she will run a 5K across the beautiful beaches of Maui!

Through the long runs, fitness successes, and by experiencing the great benefits of running, it’s safe to say that Janis is a lifelong runner and truly embraces the Pacers motto, "Run! For Your Life!"