By: Amy Begley- Coach, Atlanta Track Club
As head coach for Atlanta Track Club, I get to meet all kinds of runners – from those just starting out to those on our Atlanta Track Club Elite team. Everyone has their own story.
I first met Tina Tait at the end of 2014. She served as a Run Lead for our Fall Half Marathon Training program. Her enthusiasm is contagious. She is always encouraging others. Tina caught the running bug and wants to pass it on to others – but it wasn’t that long ago that she was the one in need of support.
Tina had been overweight for most of her life. She would try different diets, lose weight and then gain it back plus a few extra pounds. It wasn’t for a lack of trying – she worked out. She went through the Couch to 5K program and completed a few races. Then Tina went through another training program and tackled a 10K she had been eyeing for a long time – the AJC Peachtree Road Race. But just like her father, who went to the gym every day, Tina couldn’t keep the weight off.
When her father died at the age of 47, Tina was determined to make a big change. She lost 100 lbs., but once again, the weight slowly came back. At the end of 2012 Tina knew she had to take control to make sure she lived a long and happy life. She decided to try weight loss surgery.
Before her gastrectomy, Tina weighed 260 lbs. Since then, her transformation has been amazing. She dropped 130 lbs in 11 months and went from a BMI of 54 to 22.9. Tina keeps setting and accomplishing running-related goals, and she has no plans to ever stop moving forward. Back in 2012, before her surgery, Tina finished her first AJC Peachtree Road Race in just under two hours. Last year, she finished the same race in half the time. Now she’s working to finish a half marathon in the same amount of time that it took for her to complete her first 10K.
I am blown away by Tina’s story and her dedication to running. When asked why she takes the time to encourage others in their fitness journeys, Tina said, “It’s important for people to know that they have the power to achieve goals beyond what they ever thought possible. I used to carry an entire extra person around with me and if I can do it, so can they!”
Amy Begley is the head coach of Atlanta Track Club, the second largest running organization in the United States. She competed in the 2008 Olympic Games in the 10,000M and placed sixth in the 2009 IAAF World Championships in the same distance with a personal best 31:13, making her the eighth-fastest American woman in history. Her 5,000M personal best is 14:56. Begley finished her professional career with six national titles.