Our #sharetheSPARK campaign launched on Monday, and we are thrilled with all of the love and support that is circulating the world. Over the next few weeks, we'll be highlighting some excellent #sharetheSPARK stories from our Ambassadors here on the SPARK blog and live on the Momentum Facebook page. First up, Stefanie Thomas. One piece of jewelry made all the difference to her:

If someone told me that one day I would use jewelry for motivation to get me to the end of long runs, shorts runs and even marathons—I would tell that person they were wildly mistaken. And then I got my first Motivate Wrap!

Let's go back two years: I was a little under a year away from my 30th birthday, and up until that point, running had always been a form of therapy for me. As a full-time stay-at-home mom and a part-time photographer, running was the only time I had to myself. With a big birthday coming up, I knew I needed to do something that had been lingering around in my head for years—I needed to let go of the fear and sign up for a full marathon. While a marathon may not seem like the most difficult feat for a 30 year-old, I was extremely intimidated by the idea. I’d never even run a half marathon, but being a “go big or go home” type of woman, I knew I needed to go straight for the full if I wanted to be proud of myself. 

Enter my friend Jennifer. I found this amazing person in the wonderful community that is Instagram runners, and we soon connected. She was a Momentum Ambassador at the time, and she was also putting together a training plan to help me train for my marathon. I was coming off an injury and increasing my mileage slowly was the name of the game. Jennifer knew I was terrified of injuring myself again. She knew I was going to doubt myself through the entire process, so she sent me a card and my first Motivate Wrap. 

I had never received such a gift, so you can imagine the excitement I felt when I opened that package. That blue “Never Give Up” Motivate Wrap would become the thing I never knew I needed. There are items you can’t leave the house without when you go for a run. For some, it’s simply their shoes. For me, it was my GPS watch, a headband and that blue Momentum Wrap. I felt naked without it, and I found myself staring at it when I wasn’t running. It helped me picture myself crossing the finish line of a marathon.

At some point in my training cycle, my new Motivate Wrap became a symbol for accountability. On days where I didn’t feel like running, I found myself looking at my wrap and remembering that there was someone out there who knew what I was going through. Someone was rooting for me. That always kicked me into gear.

That Summer, I ran everywhere with that Motivate Wrap—and you better believe that when I finally crossed the finish line of my first marathon, it was right there on my wrist. 

Fast forward a year, and now Momentum Wraps are a staple in my running outfits. When the applications for ambassadors opened up again, I applied and was selected. I couldn’t wait to #sharetheSPARK with other women! I gave out several wraps to friends that I felt would benefit from a small piece of motivation on their wrist, including a young woman who was just starting to run longer distances. I would bump into her at the gym and her eyes would always light up when we talked about running. I knew I had to share the spark with her. I still remember how appreciative she was when I gave her a Motivate Wrap. Little did she know, she would soon be injured and sidelined from running. So as it turned out, she needed that motivation more than she thought she would.

I could go on and on with similar stories, but to sum it all up—it doesn’t take much for someone to find something that will help them keep going. In my case, it was as simple as a little piece of blue fabric and three little words that would ultimately give me nearly everything I needed to keep chasing my dream. One Motivate Wrap  kept me moving in the right direction.

To see more #sharetheSPARK stories, be sure to follow Momentum on Instagram. If you #sharetheSPARK, be sure to tag us! Remember, one small gesture can make the world of a difference to someone who needs just a little bit of motivation and inspiration.