Stu Stepp grew up in Hendersonville where he began his running journey at Flat Rock Jr. High. Stu joined the track team in ninth grade. As a junior and senior at North Henderson High School, he qualified for four state championship events — the open 400, the 4×400, the 4×200 and the 4×100. Stu said, “I was the anchor on all three relays. We were state runners-up both in ‘95 and ‘96 to North Rowan. I did cross country too, but I was a soccer player and wasn’t good at running distance.”

Stu stopped running until about 2008, when his doctor said to lose weight or go on Lipitor. He said, “I met some local people and eventually we formed a running group in Salisbury. The madness began as I ran 28 total full marathons from 2012 to 2022 and completed five 100-mile running races, as well as numerous other ultra marathons. It’s hard to explain all of this to my non-running friends but call it a form of healthy coping. Healthy in the fact that if I wasn’t running, I could have been coping another unhealthy way.”

Having qualified twice for the Boston Marathon and three times for the Western States 100 miler, Stu possessed a good mixture of speed and endurance. He said, “I redefined what an ‘accomplishment’ in running meant to me. To go out and participate and to do the race, the event, is the accomplishment. There is glory for all runners, walkers, adventure seekers in doing the event. Being fast and strong is great but just finishing in my opinion is the greatest accomplishment.”

Stu completed the Indiana Trail 100 miler in October 2021 and would complete a 5K and two half marathons after it. He completed all three races while not feeling well, then realized he was having trouble breathing when running. At 5:15 a.m. one morning while running from the YMCA, Stu couldn’t breathe and walked back to his car.

He said, “I’ll never forget that day. A few days later, I had developed a blood clot in my left leg and learned the reason I couldn’t breathe was because of clots in my lungs. While I was having surgery to remove the clots, I unfortunately had a ‘shower of strokes’ and since have been on this new journey of redefining my life.”

A former teacher at West Rowan Middle School, Stu said, “I am now a tutor at RCCC, which isn’t teaching but is close, and I am the “stroke advocate” for Novant at the hospital, a volunteer position. I speak to as many stroke survivors as I can and tell them my story which hopefully offers them inspiration for their recovery. With the help of Novant, RCCC, and the YMCA, I am in the process of starting a stroke support group here in Rowan County. I also have a big goal of going to graduate school with the hope of getting a master’s degree and possibly working full time again. And one day I will run again.”

With no feeling on his left side, Stu said, “My entire left side is a lot weaker and although I’ve come a long way, I still have a good bit of trouble with my left hand and arm. My walking has slowly improved over time, along with almost everything else. Getting into water was the biggest game changer with my therapy, giving me balance and resistance and making me feel alive.”

On New Year’s Day at our Resolution Run 5K, Stu was one of 73 finishers. This Saturday is the 3-year mark since his strokes. Stu said, “Walking the 3.1 today definitely wore me out but it’s something I can do once a month or so. Just like anything else we do, the more repetition, the easier it gets. For me and other stroke survivors, this is true because it’s just repetition on a much bigger scale. I enjoy being at running events and around those I used to run with. I still have big goals of walking a little faster and going a little further. I will always consider myself a part of the running family regardless of if I run again one day.”

He continued as a stroke survivor, “Work on the small goals and have bigger goals that you want to achieve. Everything is therapy. Keep showing up. Keep doing the work. Some of us are made to climb mountains, I truly believe I can, survivors can get back a lot of what we lost but it takes a lot of physical and mental work. One foot after another.”

Stu will lead his first stroke support meeting at the Hurley YMCA on Jake Alexander Boulevard at 7 p.m., Feb. 3. Lasting for an hour, meetings continue the first Monday of each month at the same time and location. Stu will soon have a Novant email address for those with questions. It’s for survivors and their supporters. I will post it when available.

Look for future events at www.salisburyrowanrunners.org.