Verna NezBegay Volker is from the Navajo Nation. Her clans are Tódích’íi’nii (Bitterwater) nishlíi, Hashtl’ishnii (Mud People) bashishchiin, Ta’neeszahnii (Tangle) dashicheii, and Tó’ áheedlíinii (Water Flows Together) dashinalí. She grew up in the Dzilnaoodilii area of New Mexico, but currently lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota with her husband and four children. In 2009, she started her running journey to lose weight, but it turned into a quest to find out who she is internally. This journey has taken her from a newbie runner to a marathoner and to an ultra-marathoner. Her desire is to use her running to inspire others, heal and bring community together. She is also the founder of Native Women Running, an organization she created four years ago to draw visibility to Native Women Runners. Not only is the group drawing visibility, but it has become a place for native women to seek inspiration, motivation and community in both a virtual and in-person setting. She also creates Native Women Running teams around race events. She is also an ambassador for Hoka and Suunto as well as a devoted mother and wife.
