NASHVILLE, Tenn. — For student-athletes Ella Lambert and Daniel Gaw, running is part of everyday life. A graduate student and member of the cross country and track and field teams, Lambert has likely covered as many miles as a Commodore as the distance between Nashville and her hometown of Cincinnati. Less enamored of running miles at a time, Gaw has nonetheless sweated out his share of sprints as a senior long snapper on the football team.
Most days, they run to test their own limits. They run for the family and friends who support them in pursuing their athletic passions. They run for teammates and team goals. From time to time, Lambert admittedly more than Gaw, they might even run for fun.
Saturday, in the inaugural Nashville Aruna Run 5k at Vaughn’s Gap in Warner Parks, they hope to inspire their community to run for victimized women who dream of freedom, employment and a better life half a world away.
(Photo courtesy Ella Lambert/Aruna Project)
Founded more than a decade ago by former NCAA Division I student-athletes April and Ryan Berg, the Aruna Project works to help victims and survivors of human trafficking and sex slavery, primarily in South Asia. Initially conceived and proposed by Lambert, who then enlisted Gaw to help organize the event, the 5k supports the organization’s efforts to “free, empower and employ women.” All proceeds from the Nashville event benefit the Aruna Project.
“Throughout Ella’s college career, she has made a concerted effort to synergize her running goals and personal goals to make the world a better place,” Gaw said. “She found that she can make an impact on the lives of women through running. She saw that there was a perfect opportunity to have that synergy again with the Aruna Project. I think it fits really well into Ella’s story and the way she’s used running to effect change.”
Inspired to Serve
Two summers ago, as she returned from an injury that curtailed her sophomore season, Lambert started a run club for middle school girls in her hometown. Through “Power with Purpose,” she hoped to mentor the younger athletes and make the experience about more than running. That included organizing guest speakers for the end of each run.
A fellow Cincinnati resident, April Berg was among the speakers that summer. Berg described the initial visit she and her husband made to India, which inspired them to pivot away from safe, corporate jobs in the United States and devote themselves to…