Julia Webb
Episode 244
2 OCT 2023
(PARENTS MIGHT SCREEN THIS EPISODE BEFORE LISTENING WITH MINORS.) With two very powerful stories that she shares here (and a borderline third at the end), she is in her second season as an assistant coach with the Ave Maria University cross country and track programs. Previously she’d been an assistant coach for the cross country and track programs at the University of Arkansas Little Rock for two seasons. She also has coaching experience at the high school level, having coached at two high schools in the Portland, Oregon area. While there, she also spent five years as a running coach at Nike World Headquarters. Back in her college days she was a decorated student-athlete, and has remained an active runner, currently holding the world records for fastest 10k race and fastest half marathon finished while pushing a stroller.
Notable guest quotes:
“I started playing sports probably as, like, a one-year-old playing basketball in my basement. But, I’ve always been extremely active… I always had a basketball in my hand or a soccer ball, played a little bit of hockey in our backyard, I started playing on team sports when I was in second grade, gymnastics from about first grade up ‘til eighth grade… Later in life I discovered that I was a much better runner, so I didn’t start running until my senior year of high school.”
“I grew up Catholic and my mom is a strong reason for that. She has been very faithful, and she’s always been a role model to me in the faith.”
“I did know it was very important to go to Mass. That was engrained in my being.”
“I still found myself attending Mass. And I believe that is one reason why I am here where I am now… Faith is the center of my life, along with my family.”
“I have four daughters and… I’m trying to just get them to fall in love with Jesus on their own and not be a forceful thing.”
“It just shows that you can actually put your kids in situations that are good and stuff, but you also have to be aware of who are the friends… You gotta kind of supervise to see where your kids are going.”
“It’s (my mom’s) prayers why I’m here at Ave Maria where Jesus, the Eucharist, I pretty much get almost daily.”
“I also was going through Confirmation and… there was definitely a spiritual turning there.”
“My team was incredible in college; we were just surrounded by Christian friends… We did have a group that would go to Mass.”
“I had also done some sidewalk ministry with St. Pius X church in Portland… and I just felt very called.”
“That’s what we’re called to do, we have to stand up and be persecuted… for Christ and if we’re not it’s like we’re just being private with our relationship and it’s not meant to be, it’s meant to be shared, we are meant to preach.”
Related link:
Julia’s bio on Ave Maria University athletics website
