Sharon Williams - No Longer Weighted Down

Sharon was raised in Barrow County, self-deporting to Gwinnett County for twenty years after marriage and returning when her parents were in poor health.  The middle child between an older sister and younger brother, Sharon grew up on the family farm that had been in her family for generations.  Sharon’s grandmother retired from teaching about the time Sharon was born and was an integral part of her childhood memories on the farm.  Sharon’s father, Pat Taylor, was an accomplished professional musician, who played lead guitar for many well-known country and western musicians such as Mel Tillis, Bill Anderson, Ray Stevens, Loretta Lynn, Don Williams and Ricky Nelson (but never Bo Ryles) to name a few in the 1960s and early 1970s in Nashville, Tennessee.  Her father was inducted into the Georgia Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999.  Sharon still has her father’s music on her playlist that she listens to while running.  Her father was also a pilot and a flight instructor.  Sharon recalls spending many hours in a small aircraft with her father.

Sharon’s mother worked full time but always found time to be the “perfect mom”.  She was a Sunday School teacher and classroom helper for Sharon and her sister while working full time in the textile industry as a seamstress.  Her mother made sure that Sharon and her sister were involved in everything “girly”, to include but limited to ballet, tap, Girl Scouts, and baton twirling. Sharon considered herself physically slow in school, and recalls being picked last for relay races.  In middle-school she did excel in gymnastics, and for the first time showed promise athletically.

Sharon graduated from Gwinnett Technical College with a degree in Education.  In October 1982 she met her husband to be, Steven, while working at a bank and later he transitioned into a position as a Special Education Paraprofessional.  They were married in May 1983 and have experienced thirty-four anniversaries and raised three children.  Their daughter graduated from the University of North Georgia with a business administration degree and is a Developer of Field Operations for Benchmark Physical Therapy.  The oldest son and middle child graduated from Georgia College and State University.  The eldest is a Critical Care Nurse while the youngest son is a student at the University of North Georgia pursuing a degree in Computer Science and works as a restaurant manager.  Husband Steven is retired from senior food service management.        

Sharon at age forty-six, after routine surgery, developed some disturbing health issues.  She had high blood pressure and was thirty pounds heavier than she is presently.  Sharon was inspired by her good friend Janice Duncan to run the Frog Hop 5K at Sandy Creek Park in 2009.  Not-withstanding the “dam hill”, Sharon was hooked on running.  Since she has participated in over two hundred and sixty 5/10K races and when you read her profile she will have run twenty-eight half marathons.  Her fastest 5K was 25 minutes at a Vinings Downhill 5K.   Her best half marathon time was 2:11.  Her favorite race is the Peachtree Road Race.  Sharon and Steven have volunteered for nine years as well as run the Fourth of July 10K road race.  Sharon consistently ranks in the top five in the competitive 50-54 female age group in the Black Bag Race Series and in the 2016 Run and See Georgia Grand Prix.  Sharon’s goal is to continue at her current level of fitness and to travel to more out of state half marathons.  Steven does not consider himself a runner but relishes his role as Sharon’s “roadie” accompanying her to half marathons.  He is ever present taking photos of Sharon along the course and at the finish line.           

Bob checking out from the back of the pack.  Watch for the profile of Pastor Mike Taylor and profile of Marie Jesweak.