“After my first workout, I was hooked,” she says. “I loved the team atmosphere and the fact that my daughter was welcome and included.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s exactly what Stroller Warriors F<\/span>founder Stephanie Geraghty hoped for when she started the club at Camp Lejeune in January 2010 <\/span>early that same year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Families that are happier and healthier make the military more successful in the long run,” says <\/span>Geraghty says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n Working out together<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Geraghty’s lifelong love of running led her to help military families connect through fitness and friendship, often when they are living far from their families and friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “When you’re enduring all this and your family is far away, to have a positive group can help improve your quality of life,” says Geraghty, 35. She and her husband, Master Sgt. Brian Geraghty, moved last summer with their three children to Buckley Air Force Base, Colorado.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since its inception six years ago at Camp Lejeune, Stroller Warriors has expanded to over 10,000 members and now has 28 chapters at military installations all over the world. The group is accessible to and inclusive of everyone, including men, veterans and civilians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Stroller Warriors workouts generally are held twice weekly within a 20-minute drive of a military base\u2019s main gate. To keep the atmosphere safe for all ages and ability levels, workouts take place on paved, off-road trails, ideally with a playground nearby for children to gather <\/span>afterward, Geraghty says. After greetings and announcements, members complete a timed workout, which<\/span> that allows everyone to stay on the trail together regardless of pace. Children can \u2014 and do \u2014 often participate <\/span>take part alongside parents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Stroller Warriors founder Stephanie Geraghty<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Photo Credit: Courtesy of Stephanie Geraghty<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n “The kids love that they get to see new sights, play on different playgrounds and make new friends,” says Kelly\u00a0Mulder, whose four children and husband have all participated <\/span>taken part in Stroller Warriors workouts. The family is now based in Monterey, California, and Mulder\u00a0is a regional coordinator for Stroller Warriors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Support beyond strollers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Though the atmosphere of Stroller Warriors workouts is inclusive and noncompetitive, members often help each other work through physical and mental challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As military families, “we’re asked to be strong, to persevere, to overcome,” says Rachel McCabe, who got involved with the group in 2013 at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. “Apply these strengths and strategies to running, and you’ve created some very determined and focused runners.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n But “what we do goes beyond just a running club,” says Geraghty, describing how members are quick to share resources with one another, whether it’s a training tip for an upcoming race or a recommendation for a dentist in the area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Having an instant community is invaluable when spouses deploy or get new assignments, Geraghty says. Fellow Stroller Warriors members have told her the first thing they do before a permanent change-of-station move is check to make sure there’s a chapter in their new location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Much of the power of Stroller Warriors is in helping military spouses connect and feel settled where they are,” says McCabe, one of three chapter co-coordinators at Ramstein Air Base in Germany and a regional coordinator for Stroller Warriors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n That’s particularly important for families living overseas, Geraghty says, explaining that a quarter of Stroller Warriors members are based outside the U.S. The international presence is growing; five of six overseas chapters were started within the last two years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Stroller Warriors members gather on off-road paths for workouts to provide a safer atmosphere for children.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Photo Credit: Courtesy of Stroller Warriors<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n “When you\u2019re miles and miles and miles away from family, it\u2019s so nice to know that you have a supportive group of spouses who are ready and willing to meet any need you might have,” says Mulder. She started a Stroller Warriors chapter on Okinawa in 2011, just 8 <\/span>eight weeks after the birth of her second child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Facebook has helped build and connect the international Stroller Warriors community, says <\/span>McCabe says. Each chapter has a\u00a0Facebook\u00a0group for each chapter<\/span>, helping new members connect online and in person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to helping families transition to new assignments, Stroller Warriors makes it feel less intimidating to experience a new place and get out into the community, Geraghty says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Rather than coming to a foreign country and feeling like an outsider without any connections,” McCabe says, “people come to a foreign country, find Stroller Warriors, and immediately have a community.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Giving back<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Leveraging that community to help others is an important aspect of Stroller Warriors. Though the group isn’t an official nonprofit, the all-volunteer staff goes beyond encouraging family-friendly exercises to raise money for military-oriented organizations. Donations are not mandatory for members, Geraghty says, but Stroller Warriors encourages chapters to participate in charity activities at least twice a year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2015, Stroller Warriors raised $33,145 for charity. Members donated time, money, clothing, meals,<\/span> and, of course, shoes. Even international chapters participate <\/span>take part: Royal Air Force Lakenheath raises money for a VFW chapter; Ramstein serves lunches for the USO; and Okinawa has partnered with a women\u2019s shelter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Being a member of this club helps create so many opportunities to run, explore, volunteer,<\/span> and connect with military spouses and the community,” says McCabe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to working out together, Stroller Warriors members participate in community service activities.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Photo Credit: Courtesy of Stroller Warriors<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n “Then, our members will have their running ‘village’ ready and waiting for them no matter where they move,” she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thanks to the “village” Mulder found through Stroller Warriors, she not only fell in love with running, but she also realized a dream: She crossed the finish line of her first marathon \u2014 while her husband was deployed \u2014 just nine months after she took the first step with Stroller Warriors.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Club at installations worldwide helps military spouses through fitness, friendship, fundraising and beyond.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":49811,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":18,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[12,18,69],"tags":[],"coauthors":[462],"class_list":["post-22912","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-spouse","category-your-marine-corps"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"GYVL5XUT6BDOPBQVI3JOLVZWHE","arc_canonical_url":"\/spouse\/2016\/04\/16\/stroller-warriors-is-a-10000-strong-running-club-for-military-families\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/635963389241751696-stephanie-geraghtyjpg.jpg\")
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