Latoya Shauntay Snell is a sponsored ultra runner, founder of Running Fat Chef, an uncensored fitness and food blog and plus size adventurer from Brooklyn, NY. Featured on multiple platforms such as Huffington Post, The Cut, SELF, BuzzFeed and Women’s Health, Snell is quickly making a name for herself in the fitness and body positivity community.
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Q: What does walk like a woman mean to you?
A: Walk like a woman means to honor your inner superhero regardless of who gives you acknowledgement. When I’m surrounded by exceptional people who combat arduous obstacles, I am reminded that as a strong woman myself, I don’t have to downplay my own accomplishments.
Q:What makes you feel most confident?
A: When I’m able to show people that I can embrace my femininity while doing physically demanding things like squatting 250 pounds at the gym or running countless back to back marathons, I feel empowered. My confidence truly shines through when I can balance being a well versed athlete who works hard and can shift into mommy mode for my son or trade in my workout gear for heels to enjoy a night out with my husband.
Q: How do you stay motivated while running?
A: Naturally we all have days where our hearts, bodies or minds aren’t into something. When I am having a rough moment, I remind myself that my running journey will come with devastating days, some failures and an endless amount of beautiful moments if I remain consistent. If this means that I gift myself an extra day or two off to remain passionate about the sport, I practice this technique.
Q: What is one defining moment in your career that you are really proud of?
A: Last year, I wanted to see how far I could push myself physically and emotionally. I sought out a personal goal of completing 247 miles of running and obstacle course racing within two months. I managed to complete my longest distance to date through the Javelina Jundred 100K – a race coined as a “party in the desert” – which is equivalent to a bit over 62 miles. Six days later, I completed the TCS New York City Marathon for the fourth year in a row. Taking on so many races taught me what the human spirit is truly capable of doing if you believe in it and are willing to put in the work to train for something viewed as impossible to many.
