When you read this, Marie will have said “I DO” marrying Jesse Johnson on the 17th of June 2017. Photos of the pre-marriage event, the Chris Gaunt 5K in Gainesville, featured fellow race enthusiasts with guys wearing tuxedo t-shirts and girls wearing pink, her bridesmaid’s color. The tribute to Marie was that many of her racing friends came out to the race to celebrate her wedding day. Marie obliged wearing an outfit that had the embroidered inscription “BRIDE”.
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Digressing Marie is a native Athenian from her start as a newborn at St. Mary’s Hospital in Athens, GA. Her father worked in the banking industry while her mother stayed at home raising older brother Derek, and two younger sisters, Donna and Jackie. Marie graduated from Prince Avenue Christian School, the University of Georgia, and earned a Master’s Degree of Science in Mental Health Counseling from New England College. Marie begin work in 2008 in the social science field and since 2011, has served as a counselor/therapist in the social science field. Currently, Marie is a Clinical Supervisor at Project Family, LLC where she has worked for the past two years. Prior to this, she served as a therapist at Advantage Behavioral Health Systems. She is available for post-race awards ceremony counseling of runners! You must take a number like you do to run a race.
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Marie met Jesse at Jittery Joe’s in 2016. He quickly became her “best friend and love of her life”. Jesse is a Registered Forester/Sales Agent with Southern Land Exchange specializing in timber and recreational properties. The company web site quotes Jesse as “strongly believing that it is man’s call to be responsible stewards over God’s creations”. I guess that is why Jesse married Marie! Marie and Jesse reside in Arnoldsville, GA (2000 census population 312) with their 10 chickens.
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Marie’s running inspiration has been her older brother Derek. He ramped up to running a race most weekends in 2014. Derek’s “diligence and commitment to get out every Saturday morning and run” inspired Marie. She set a goal on January 1, 2015 to participate in a race every weekend, and only missed four weekends that year. Currently Marie is ranked second in the female 35-39 age group in both the Run and See Georgia Grand Prix and the Black Bag race series. Racing has become a tradition and created “a lot of fun memories” that she and Derek share. Her inspiration when lacing up each Saturday is knowing that she will be running with friends that she has become close to since 2015. These friendships are “a blessing” in her life culminating in fellow runners coming together to celebrate her pending wedding at the Chris Gault race. When not running, Marie can be found riding her road bike and eating pizza.
Bob checking out from the back of the pack. Watch for the profile of Ken Brown and of North Georgia’s Donna Presley.