Tina Hunt - Running with Less

Tina was born and raised in the shadow of the Granite Bowl in Elberton, and remains there to this day. Her father was a brick mason and her mother stayed at home to raise three daughters and one son.  Tina loved the outdoors, and excelled in softball and basketball.  She graduated from Elberton County High School in 1979.

Tina met Brian Hunt in May 1982 and snagged him on April 16, 1983 (immediately after they filed their income tax returns).   Their union has produced four offspring-Holly (age 28 and resides in Miami, FL), Heidi (26 and resides in Baton Rouge, LA), Heath (23, Athens, GA), and Hanna (20, student at UGA in Athens).  Holly and Heidi are both UGA alumnus and Heath is an alumni of Athens Tech.   Currently empty nesters, Tina and Brian enjoy the never ending journey of traveling to races, biking, and hiking.   

After emulating her mother as a stay at home mom for twelve years, Tina supervised the Mothers Mornings Out program at Elberton First Baptist Church.  She also served as a nursery coordinator  and  taught a two year old preschool class.  These activities allowed Tina the flexibility to be involved in her children’s activities.  Tina has been a volunteer coach for the Elbert County Middle School Girls Track Team for several years resulting in Tina currently serving as an assistant coach.  August 2012 was another milestone marking Tina’s first month as a group fitness instructor and personal trainer at Bodyplex in Elberton.   

Many of us find that a busy life is not a physically fit existence.  In 2007 Tina though she might be slightly overweight and invested in a treadmill.   Exercise, a healthy diet and self discipline resulted in an amazing eighty pound weight loss in a nine month period.  Tina’s first 5K was in Elberton in Sept 2007 at the age 45.  She discovered the running series in 2008 and placed twelfth in her age group.  Tina placed second in her age group in 2011 and participated in seventy-five races, many of them timed by Classic Race Services and now on the Black Bag Race Series.  Tina’s best 5K was 26:59 in the Hurricane 5K.  Her best 10K time was sixty minutes at the 2012 Torture Trail.  Last year at age fifty, Tina ran her first marathon in Savannah.  Tina completed six half marathons in 2011 and set a goal of twelve to complete in 2012.  She has run twenty half marathons since 2009 and recently completed her ninth in 2012.

 Tina remarks that “obstacles are what you see when you take your eyes off the goal”.  Tina plans on continuing to set goals for herself and strive to accomplish each one.  One 2012 goal was to avoid Bob Slowpants.   

Bob checking out from the back of the back.