By Summer Crawford

Staff Writer

“If you can crawl or walk, you can run.”

This has been the motto of a fairly new exercise group called Coppell Wunners and Runners for roughly two and a half months, comprised of people who walk and run, making them “Wunners.” This local group started on Oct. 21 when Coppell resident Ron Whitson and his wife Jana were running with a few friends.

“The four of us had been running for a couple weeks, and I was telling her that we should do a 5K. I said let us do our own 5K. The name came after we started the Wunners group,” Whitson said. “We just walk and run, and we are really Wunners. We have some real and serious runners, and we have some walkers who walk three miles.”

The Wunners group was created for anyone who was willing to get out and exercise, regardless of their fitness level or how slow they go. A key aspect the 30 members have is an open mind, encouraging their friends and family to join them and become active. Rain or shine, nothing stops this lively group of people from meeting up at Andy Brown Park East on Mondays through Fridays at 8:10 a.m.

“We have run in rain, ice, snow and in really bad weather. Ron is a good influence on us, and he always stays behind for the slower members. He has a dog who never gets tired who is really our mascot,” Wunners member Bettie Jones said. “Coppell Wunners makes me get out of bed in the morning and exercise. It makes you start your day. Our goal is to welcome anyone that wants to have a great time while walking or running. If people come out, they will laugh, get great exercise and sweat.”

Even though Coppell Wunners was established recently, it utilizes a Facebook group page, that is open to the public, for communication and updates. Members post pictures almost every day of themselves doing fun things and running out in the parks. Members like Jones post when the group will meet and their game plan for the run that morning. Keeping a positive outlook and environment is what makes this group work.

Several Wunners help to create new and interesting running paths for the group while also creating a welcoming atmosphere for new people who show up. What makes this group unique is that it is built of people with fitness levels ranging from inactive to professional and serious athletes. It is one big family that looks out for each other while still having a good time working out.

“The most intimidating thing about working out is that people feel like they can’t keep up. They say they are too slow or too fat. They are going to lose weight by themselves; no, come run with us and lose weight and get faster. They feel like all eyes are on them and that they are being judged and assessed on their abilities. It is not like that,” Wunners member and athlete Kuay Sullivan said. “We do not care what their pace is because it is a gradual buildup.  No one feels like they are last, and there is someone in the group to partner with them.”

Whether a person wishes to walk or run, the Wunners are there for encouragement and are proud of anyone who is willing to put themselves out there. Members are constantly pushing themselves further and coaching each other when they want to give up. Having fun and making new friends is another goal of the Wunners.

“I laugh every morning because Coppell Wunners is a guaranteed laugh. I don’t know if I would get up in the mornings if it were too serious like other clubs, but it is so much fun,” Wunners member Deborah Hair said.

The Coppell Wunners has started to participate in running events such as 5Ks. Members and a few Coppell High School students had planned on running in a 5K they created called “Winter Wunnerland” on Dec. 7, but due to icy conditions, it was rescheduled for Jan. 18. This event was for people in Coppell to join them in exercising, complete with baked goods, door prizes and t-shirts. This event has turned into a global “Winter Wunnerland,” with runs at Harvard and the University of Birmingham in England on the same day as the Coppell run.

The “Winter Wunnerland” is only the beginning for the Coppell Wunners and Runners. Members have come to realize that some people like to work out in the evenings, and so a future goal is to start an evening running group soon. The group is on its way to raising health awareness not only in Coppell, but across the world in other states and countries.