Hmmm... I think my
Hmmm... I think my involvement started when a bunch of us were discussing the idea of a barefoot convention (on the other forum), which someone suggested should be organized by a barefoot organization. I think all of us were drunk when posting. At the time, TJ wasn't part of the conversation.
When she returned, she took our half-assed idea seriously and started actual intelligent discussion of the idea. I think initially there were three of us that initiated the beginnings of the BRS, then brought a few more on board to organize the actual organization.
Over time, the organization has morphed into what you see today.
TJ really has been the visionary behind all of this. The rest of us didn't take it nearly as serious as she did/has.
Worth noting- TJ is definitely the most underrated developer of the barefoot running movemement.
Ken Bob, BF Rick, and BF Ted get a lot of credit for having a web presence, but all three had followers and didn't intentionally foster a community of equal participants. McDougall gets a lot of credit, but barefoot running isn't even a primary topic in BTR.
Before Born to Run was published, TJ convinced RW to start that barefoot running forum. Many of the initial members of that forum eventually became the more well-known barefoot runners/bloggers out there today. More importantly, it allowed the ideas of barefoot running to spread at the grass-roots level. TJ's influence is obvious here at the BRS, but can also be seen as many of us have been able to influence the entire running industry (shoe companies included.) We've made the idea of actual barefoot running a legitimate practice. None of that would have happened without her.
TJ was perhaps the single most important pioneer of the barefoot running movement, and she rarely receives the credit she deserves.
Hmmm... I think my involvement started when a bunch of us were discussing the idea of a barefoot convention (on the other forum), which someone suggested should be organized by a barefoot organization. I think all of us were drunk when posting. At the time, TJ wasn't part of the conversation.
When she returned, she took our half-assed idea seriously and started actual intelligent discussion of the idea. I think initially there were three of us that initiated the beginnings of the BRS, then brought a few more on board to organize the actual organization.
Over time, the organization has morphed into what you see today.
TJ really has been the visionary behind all of this. The rest of us didn't take it nearly as serious as she did/has.
Worth noting- TJ is definitely the most underrated developer of the barefoot running movemement.
Ken Bob, BF Rick, and BF Ted get a lot of credit for having a web presence, but all three had followers and didn't intentionally foster a community of equal participants. McDougall gets a lot of credit, but barefoot running isn't even a primary topic in BTR.
Before Born to Run was published, TJ convinced RW to start that barefoot running forum. Many of the initial members of that forum eventually became the more well-known barefoot runners/bloggers out there today. More importantly, it allowed the ideas of barefoot running to spread at the grass-roots level. TJ's influence is obvious here at the BRS, but can also be seen as many of us have been able to influence the entire running industry (shoe companies included.) We've made the idea of actual barefoot running a legitimate practice. None of that would have happened without her.
TJ was perhaps the single most important pioneer of the barefoot running movement, and she rarely receives the credit she deserves.