For Erin McGrady (she/her/hers pronouns) and Caroline Whatley (she/her/hers pronouns), running is more than a means of exercise. For them, running has acted not only as a way to bring them together, but also serves as an outlet from the stressors of the outside world. In 2016, the couple created, Authentic Asheville, a small business that uses video, photography, writing, content creation, and social media to highlight local LGBTQ+ stories and businesses in Asheville, NC to increase visibility and acceptance of marginalized communities.
They also created Asheville Run Crew in 2022, a group that hosts free BIPOC + LGBTQIA2S + Ally Run and Walk Meetups.
“Asheville Run Crew was created as a means to take up space together, build community, make new friends and be with old ones, while also creating collective joy as we move our bodies,” Erin said. “While we encourage allies to join, we ask them to decenter themselves and their experiences in this space.”
But the journey that led to the creation of Authentic Asheville first dates back to when the couple first met. After navigating a long-distance relationship, Erin moved to Asheville in the summer of 2016. During this time, the couple had the unique opportunity to work for a full-time travel blogger and for the next six months visited a number of places including Beijing, Boston, Austin, D.C, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and more. This opportunity would go on to spark the idea for them to start their own business, which ultimately led to the creation of Authentic Asheville.
Through their work as photographers and filmmakers, they aim to share stories and information about LGBTQ+ safe spaces in both Asheville and beyond. “We aim to increase representation on both sides of the camera lens. Our work is largely in the outdoor space where we hope to share stories about LGBTQ+ BIPOC that are active in the community and working to create impactful change,” said Erin.
“Amplifying the voices of others is important, especially for those of BIPOC LGBTQ+ people, because their stories are important and deserve to be told, as well as how it can be a powerful way for others to learn from them,” said Caroline.
In addition to their work as bloggers, the two also created Asheville Run Crew, which is a running club that focuses on inclusion and increasing representation of BIPOC runners in the Asheville area. As reported by Women’s Running Magazine, the lack of visibility in BIPOC runners is due to a variety of reasons such as safety and harmful stereotypes pertaining to race and ethnicity. “The idea of Asheville Run Crew is for BIPOC and LGBTQIA2S folks to be able to be together in a space where we can be unapologetically ourselves, where we can take up space together, build community, make new friends and be with old ones, and create collective joy as we move our bodies,” Erin said.
In their latest racing quest, Erin and Caroline will compete at the Pittsburgh Marathon on May 5, 2024. Over the past two years, the couple has participated in smaller 5K races along with running in two-half marathons, but this will be their first full marathon (26.2 miles) together. “I’ve been running consistently for over 30 years, and this will be my fifth marathon but my first in 12 years. It was not until this past February after we ran a half marathon, that I thought we should try and run a full marathon together,” said Erin.
But while the marathon race will be quite the new feat for Caroline, she is eager to compete.
They’re also leveraging the run as a way to raise money for the Campaign for Southern Equality. In just three days, they soared past their initial fundraising goal of $1,000, which they’ll donate to further support CSE’s work for lived and legal equality for LGBTQ+ Southerners. “Knowing that all of our training is going to ultimately help and support CSE in their mission to helping LGBTQ+ Southerners achieve equality is what has helped continue to motivate me,” Caroline said. “We are thrilled to be doing such purposeful work, and can’t wait to see how this will further aid LGBTQ+ people.”
And while their race is quickly approaching in early May, one thing is for certain that neither Erin nor Caroline will be eyeing the clock to determine whether their time bested the other. Their overall goal is to showcase the importance of LGBTQ+ visibility while also supporting an organization they respect and actively working to support and defend LGBTQ+ issues. Through their continued work, they are grateful for each day they have the opportunity to do work that is purpose driven.
“As far as running goes, we both hope to be able to do it as long as we are alive and breathing,” Caroline said. “We want people to see our love for each other, and hope that when people see us out there running, they are inspired to go out and give it a try.”
The Campaign for Southern Equality team is grateful for this creative way to build community and raise funds to support our work – thank you, Erin and Caroline!
To make a contribution to Erin and Caroline’s marathon efforts to run for LGBTQ equality, please visit their Go Fund Me: https://www.gofundme.com/f/caroline-and-erin-run-262-for-lgbtq-equality
Be sure to follow along with Erin McGrady and Caroline Whatley, on Instagram at @authenticasheville @ashevilleruncrew @e.mcgrady and @carolineperdue. Additionally, you can learn more about their ongoing adventures via their blog www.authenticavl.com and their portfolio www.authenticasheville.com.
