{"id":3270,"date":"2022-08-30T16:48:13","date_gmt":"2022-08-30T20:48:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=3270"},"modified":"2022-08-30T16:48:13","modified_gmt":"2022-08-30T20:48:13","slug":"inspire-marygrace-fronk-keeping-fit-while-helping-others","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=3270","title":{"rendered":"Inspire: Marygrace Fronk – Keeping fit while helping others"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Norah Machia<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Marygrace Fronk discovered many years ago that half-marathons (13.1 miles in distance) are not just for runners. They are also for walkers of any age.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

At age 70, Fronk has completed 38 of them, and she is still going strong. She walked in her first half-marathon in 2009, after a friend got her interested in distance walking with a group of other women. She finished that event in Niagara Falls, Canada, with a time of 3 hours and 35 minutes. Her oldest daughter, Michele, walked alongside her. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was such an accomplishment when I completed that first half-marathon,\u201d Fronk says. \u201cIt was nice to do it for myself, and not worry about racing against others.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

But since that first event, Fronk has found herself challenging her personal time each race by looking for people to pass as motivation to walk even faster. \u201cI\u2019ve tried to improve my time with each one that has followed,\u201d she says. Her personal best was a half-marathon completed in Half Moon Bay, Cal. with a time of two hours and 58 minutes. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Along with New York State events, Fronk has traveled throughout the country to compete in half-marathons in Arizona, California, Maryland and Massachusetts. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Fronk, a registered nurse, had worked for the G. Ray Bodley High School in Fulton for 18 years before retiring in 2009. Prior to her time at the high school, she was employed as a school nurse in the district\u2019s elementary buildings.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

She has completed half-marathons with friends, family members, and on her own. \u201cIt\u2019s never a dull moment,\u201d says the Fulton resident.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

She recalled convincing her brother Paul to enter a half-marathon with her in Tucson, Ariz. However, it was designated a women\u2019s event, so while men could participate, they could not place. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

For some reason, which she has not been able to determine to this day, Fronk was entered as a male participant. She completed the half-marathon but was never able to sort out the gender mix-up. So, she took the whole thing in stride and posed on the awards stand with Paul (it was his first half-marathon) after everyone had left. They took their own victory photo wearing their participant medals. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Another time she was approaching the finish line, and the crowd started yelling \u201csprint \u2013 you\u2019re almost to the end!\u201d She looked at the crowd and shouted back \u201cI\u2019m walking, not running!\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a competitive walker,\u201d Fronk says. \u201cI push myself to the end, but I don\u2019t sprint across the finish line.\u201d (Why would she start running a race at the very end when she has been maintaining a consistent, steady, yet fast walking pace to complete the event, she reasons). <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

It has been an ambitious journey, and one that has resulted in not only improved overall health, but a real sense of personal satisfaction for Fronk, who is a breast cancer survivor. \u201cI\u2019m also a very active grandmother,\u201d says Fronk. \u201cMy endurance levels stay up with the kids.\u201d She and her husband Gary (a competitive cyclist), have four children and 12 grandchildren. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

If she is training for an event, Fronk walks an average of six miles a day, and will work in one longer 10-mile walk once a week. She also takes a weekly rest day off. When she is not training for a half-marathon, she walks between three to five miles a day.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy primary doctor is thrilled with all my health statistics,\u201d says Fronk, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2001, but underwent treatment and has been cancer free for years.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Fronk is not on any prescription medications but takes daily vitamins and supplements. The only medication she uses is taken occasionally for allergies. \u201cIt\u2019s so important for people to maintain a healthy lifestyle and proper nutrition as they age,\u201d she says. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Fronk continues to walk sometimes with her friends, although the walking group has dwindled over the years. For those who don\u2019t compete, she is still happy to walk with them \u201cat any pace,\u201d she says. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

When the winter months arrive, Fronk heads West for an extended stay with her daughter, Pam, who lives in Arizona, an arrangement that helps to keep her walking. \u201cI really don\u2019t like treadmills,\u201d she says. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

But back home in Fulton, she will still walk outside in the winter weather, although not on roads with fresh snow, \u201cbecause there is too much risk of a car sliding,\u201d Fronk says. At other times, she has done indoor mall walking. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

As with many others who complete half-marathons, Fronk often uses the events to raise awareness and money for nonprofit organizations. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

She has supported, among others, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the American Cancer Society and the \u201cBlessings in A Backpack\u201d fund-raiser held by Amnesty CrossFit of Oswego. For Fronk, the fund-raising gives her a personal sense of satisfaction that goes beyond the physical accomplishments of walking long distances. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, she and some family members decided to try fund-raising with virtual walks. They signed up with the \u201cOne New York Virtual Challenge\u201d and completed two virtual walks to raise funds for the Central New York Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. In 2020, Fronk logged in 600 miles of walking over a three-month period, and in 2021, she logged 1,010 miles in just over nine months, finishing on her 70<\/span><\/span><\/span>th<\/span><\/span><\/sup><\/span> birthday. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s a cause that is \u201cnear and dear\u201d to her heart, as Fronk\u2019s granddaughter Katrianna, 14, has cystic fibrosis. She is the daughter of Fronk\u2019s son Don and his wife, Gretchen, who also have a son, Kai. Fronk is a big supporter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation because of its dedicated research efforts for new treatments and finding a cure. Her granddaughter has been able to manage her condition and remains in good health, Fronk says. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe funding that has been used for research has resulted in huge benefits for Katrianna,\u201d says Fronk, who completed one of the virtual fund-raising walks with her daughter, Jessica, and her 12-year-old granddaughter, Maria. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt shows a huge devotion to the organization on her part, that she would do this virtual event in honor of her granddaughter,\u201d said Amy Spranger, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation\u2019s area director for Western, Central and Northeastern NY.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t receive any government funding, so this type of fund-raising support is so important to our organization,\u201d says Spranger. The nonprofit organization also holds annual fundraising events, including a golf tournament, an extreme hike and a gala. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation assists with funding and accreditation of more than 120 care centers throughout the country, staffed by dedicated healthcare professionals who provide specialized care for people living with the disease. The local chapter supports the Cystic Fibrosis Care Center at Upstate Medical University, which serves patients in a 15-county region. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The CF care centers also conduct clinical research. \u201cOur mission is to find a cure for cystic fibrosis, and at the same time, we want people to continue living long, healthy lives\u201d by providing a range of support for patients, says Spranger. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

There are approximately 40,000 people living with cystic fibrosis nationwide and 1,660 in New York State, she says. The Central New York chapter serves 260 families. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I started walking, I did not intend to fund-raise, it was more for the challenge of getting started and getting fit,\u201d says Fronk. But she soon realized the rewards of combining some of the walks with fund-raising efforts.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMovement is so important,\u201d she says. \u201cI can\u2019t imagine any other lifestyle.\u201d And giving back to the community has been an added bonus of staying healthy for Fronk. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Norah Machia Marygrace Fronk discovered many years ago that half-marathons (13.1 miles in distance) are not just for runners. They are also for walkers of any age. At age 70, Fronk has completed 38 of them, and she is still going strong. She walked in her first half-marathon in 2009, after a friend got…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":3271,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1143],"tags":[1256,247,1263,751,1261,1262],"class_list":["post-3270","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-inspire","tag-athlete","tag-fitness","tag-half-marathon","tag-health","tag-marygrace-fronk","tag-walking"],"gutentor_comment":0,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Marygrace-Fronk-without-glasses-2-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C2538&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3458,"url":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=3458","url_meta":{"origin":3270,"position":0},"title":"Inspire – Penny Noll: On a mission to run a marathon in every state","author":"Alyssa Dearborn","date":"January 9, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"By Kate Hill Longtime Cazenovia Children's House (CCH) director Penny Noll is well on her way to accomplishing her goal of running a marathon in every state in the country by 2025. 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