Disrupt Ageism: Michelle Belton of Companion Home Care Completes Roanoke Marine Mud Run

The Roanoke Marine Mud Run is a fundraiser put on by the Roanoke Marine Corps League for Toys-4-Tots and Camp Roanoke. It consists of a 5K race through obstacles, physical challenges, and of course, mud. Now in its 24th consecutive year, the Roanoke Marine Mud Run takes place at Green Hill Park in Salem, VA.

Michelle Belton, 51, is a Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP) and the owner of Companion Home Care, a senior home health care service serving Roanoke, VA and Lynchburg, VA.

When asked why she decided to complete the Mud Run, Belton replied, “I’m finding myself looking for projects that challenge me physically as I’ve gotten over 50. It’s part of my mission to “disrupt ageism” and disperse with the traditional idea of what getting older means.”

Belton continued, “Working with the older population has given me a lot of good advice for my future. When we’re younger, we don’t need advice. I have made it a personal mission to get in shape, improve my range of motion, and lose the extra weight. This is a great formula to improve my odds of a healthy aging situation.”

As far as the specifics of her training routine for the Roanoke Mud Run, Belton said, “One year ago I enrolled in an intense “boot camp” style fitness program for an 8-week challenge. It’s only 30 minutes a day so I can fit it in my schedule. At the end of eight weeks, it wasn’t about losing weight, rather about how much better I felt.”

“I have made this a lifestyle change and am encouraged to prove that physical accomplishments are not limited by age,” she added.

For more information about the Roanoke Marine Mud Run, visit their Facebook page or email roanokemudrun@gmail.com.

Photos from the 2019 Roanoke Marine Mud Run:



*Photos are from the RMMR Facebook page and are the property of their respective owners.