As a young nurse at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Christina Wills, DNP, began running to support her patients in the St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend. She never really expected to become a dedicated marathon runner.
“My commitment to my patients and their families sparked my love for running. The most recent St. Jude Memphis Marathon marked my 10th consecutive year participating in the weekend,” said Dr. Wills, 35, now an assistant professor in UT Health Science Center’s College of Nursing. “I have never missed a year, including waddling to the finish line 40-weeks pregnant to complete a 5K I signed up for.”
What Dr. Wills didn’t know when she started running was that her hobby would become a practice that has expanded her community and fueled her role as a full-time faculty member and busy mother of four boys ages 5 and younger.
“Morning workouts help fill my cup before the daily demands start. I am able to prioritize time to reflect and practice gratitude. It has been a game-changer that has honestly turned me into a better mom, friend, wife, and pediatric nurse practitioner,” she said. “Our four boys have been my biggest motivator to be the best version of myself.” She and her husband, Michael, are parents to Wallace, 5, Jack, 3, and Louis and Lawson, 16 months.
Just 15 months after giving birth to the twins, Dr. Wills ran the Mississippi River Run Marathon with a Boston Marathon-qualifying time. Her overall time was 3:29, averaging an 8-minute mile; the Boston qualifying time for a woman her age is 3:35. She plans to apply to participate in the 2025 Boston Marathon. Dr. Wills credits her husband Michael for helping her carve out time and prioritize self-care. “There is no way I could do any of it without him,” she said.
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