10. Sara Vaughn

The Fueling Forward Podcast

This episode is an interview with professional runner representing Puma and mom of 4, Sara Vaughn. Sara was born and raise in a small town in Nebraska, and after finding running in high school she went on to become an All-American for CU. While at CU, she unexpectedly became pregnant her junior year and had her first daughter, Kiki, as a collegiate athlete. Sara went on to compete in everything from the 800 to the marathon, representing Team USA at 2 world championships in the 1500. In 2021, Sara transitioned to the marathon and won her debut at CIM in 2:26:53, one of the fastest debuts by an American. She has placed top 10 at both Chicago Marathon and New York City Marathon, finishing as the top American woman at NYCM in 2024.

Sara shares her inspiring journey balancing life as a mom, professional runner, and real estate agent. We talk about:

• How Sara formed a healthy relationship around food and body image growing up in the midwest, and how that carried over into college and beyond
• What is was like navigating unexpected pregnancy as a collegiate athlete, and how she and her husband used that experience to help others by creating the Vaughn Childcare Fund
• How she has navigated running and fueling through pregnancy and postpartum, including words of wisdom for other moms
• What her transition to the marathon was like and how her fueling approach has shifted
• How she creates a healthy environment around food for her kids and a safe space for them to explore all foods without guilt or shame

If you want to donate to the Vaughn Childcare Fund you can do so on their website. You can keep up with Sara and her family on Instagram at @smevaughn.