My name is Adina Crawford, and there is a lot of truth, and gravity, in my story.
At one point, I was pushing close to 300 pounds and told myself it was okay. I even thought it was cute. After all, I came from a family of “large-boned” women, so this was normal…right? Not exactly.
All the signs were right in front of me, but denial has a way of becoming routine. Ignoring symptoms, avoiding hard truths, and convincing yourself everything is fine can become so customary that you just keep moving through life. Like so many women, I normalized exhaustion, fatigue, weight gain, and body aches. I told myself, this is just how it is. Carrying stress quietly and pushing through felt like strength, but in reality, it was neglect.
I believed that saying “I’m fine” meant I was fine. I believed my strength was measured by how much I could endure, especially when others co-signed that belief and made it feel acceptable.
Then life forced me to stop.
My mother suffered from high blood pressure, diabetes, and a host of other health issues—things I didn’t fully take notice of until I became her caregiver. When my mom passed away, it landed hard. Her passing became a wake-up call to everything I had been ignoring in my own life.
I made appointments with all the right doctors, especially a cardiologist. It became mandatory for me to unlearn the behaviors I had grown accustomed to. I had to change—internally and externally. I needed to eat better. I needed to move my body. It was hard, but I knew that if I didn’t change, the cost would be far greater in the long run. My health depended on it.
That’s when I found Black Girls Run—and in many ways, it saved me and allowed me to save myself. At that time, my own willpower wasn’t enough.
Being in a space where Black women were prioritizing their health out loud and together forced me to confront what I had been avoiding. I saw reflections of myself in women choosing life in real time, and I knew I had found my community. I felt love, support, understanding, and alignment with the mission of Black Girls Run in a way that changed everything for me.
I will forever be grateful for this group because heart health doesn’t announce itself loudly in women. Prevention doesn’t always feel urgent, until it is. And waiting is often what costs us the most.
Today, I move with intention. I rest without guilt. I advocate for my heart and make choices rooted in care and awareness.
If my story resonates with you, I invite you to make a contribution. Every contribution helps create education, access, and spaces where women can choose health before a crisis. Together, we can change outcomes by raising awareness and choosing better for ourselves and each other.