Every school day before classes, Sally Cohenour-Kerl, a middle school physical education teacher at North Terrace School in Oceanside, is on the track where students participate in the Trekking Tiger running program. Every day after school, she coaches the middle school’s cross-country running team. Cohenour-Kerl is known for her love of running, sharing with students something she calls a “spiritual time” and “time with nature.” What is not as well-known is the role running has played in shaping Cohenour-Kerl’s life as she rose from adversity to become a successful international competitive runner. Born in 1967, Cohenour-Kerl and her four siblings were raised in Riverside. The family struggled financially largely due to their dad’s health conditions, which limited his ability to work. “We grew up in a neighborhood of crime, drugs, and gangs, including a dangerous house next door,” she said. “I was taunted and harassed, we were robbed and our garage set on fire.” “I wanted out of the neighborhood, but my parents didn’t have the money to leave. They did the best they could.” At 8, Cohenour-Kerl was diagnosed with a heart condition and asthma. The doctor suggested exercise. So, she ran. She ran in an organized park competition for children up to high school age, winning the race at 8. That led to an invitation to join two Amateur Athletic Union running clubs where she ran competitively beginning at 9, traveling throughout California and other states. She placed first or second in dozens of races. Beginning at 13, she ran with her school track and cross-country teams, winning most of the races. She earned MVP and All-County awards. She says running probably saved her life by keeping her busy and away from gangs and drugs. Running was also a ticket out of the neighborhood. She earned athletic scholarships, becoming the first in her family to attend college. In 1989, she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in physical education. She went on to earn teacher credentials and two master’s degrees in educational counseling and administration. While pursuing her career as teacher and then school administrator from 1989 to 2007 she ran in only a few competitive races annually. However, her life changed in 2007 when she moved to San Diego to become a charter school principal. By that time she was facing a dark chapter in her life due to a tumultuous marriage. She began drinking daily while working 12-hour days and facing verbal abuse at home. “It started with a glass of wine, then a bottle of wine each night,” she said. “This went on for a year. The worst part was I couldn’t imagine not having it.” She faced up to her addiction and took steps to deal with it. She began getting help and stuck with it while ending her marriage. She focused on her career and, as she did earlier in life, turned to running. Beginning in 2008, she ran marathons, something she had never done. She ran in 15 marathons held on all seven continents. Among her wins for her gender and age group include the Antarctic, San Diego, and Orange County marathons. She placed eighth in the Boston Marathon. In addition, she has run in about 150 other long-distance races since 2008, winning or placing in virtually all of them, and she has become nationally known in competitive running circles. Most importantly, she credits running with helping her maintain 16 years of sobriety; her last drink was Aug. 12, 2008. Her life today is filled with family, running and teaching physical education. She remarried and lives in Carlsbad with her husband, Brian, a retired Marine officer and currently a Marine Corps Junior ROTC teacher at Oceanside High. He is also a runner. Cohenour-Kerl, now 57, says she plans to run for the rest of her life beginning with her next race, the Oceanside Turkey Trot on Nov. 28. And she plans to continue sharing the running experience with students. “I know how much running helped me,” she said. “I share this with [students] so they can feel part of something amazing.” About this series Goldsmith is a Union-Tribune contributing columnist. We welcome reader suggestions of people who have done something extraordinary or otherwise educational, inspiring or interesting and who have not received much previous media. Please send suggestions to Jan Goldsmith at [email protected]