Women’s Fund Luncheon

2025 Keynote Speaker: Kathrine Switzer

Kathrine’s journey of resilience and empowerment perfectly aligns with our mission to empower women and girls in the Fox Valley.

Iconic athlete, sports and social advocate, author, and Emmy award-winning television commentator, Kathrine Switzer was the first woman to officially enter and run the Boston Marathon. She has been honored widely for her achievements, including being inducted into the USA National Women’s Hall of Fame, for creating positive social change. The ramifications of her work are both joyful and profound, changing forever the face of sports, health and opportunities for women around the world.

Kathrine Switzer is relentless in her efforts to empower millions of women beyond the finish line, now through the recently created non-profit, “261 Fearless, Inc.” She ran the Boston Marathon again in 2017, 50 years after she first challenged the rules and ran the prestigious event. In doing so, Kathrine broke yet another barrier in a lifetime of breaking barriers, and simultaneously celebrated 50 years of women s athletics and social achievement.

Sports history changed in 1967 when she officially registered and finished that famous race. It was still a men’s only event in those days and Switzer’s entry created a worldwide uproar when the race director attacked her mid-stride and tried to tear off her bib numbers and remove her from the event, because she was a woman. The photo of this incident flashed around the globe and became one of Time-Life A100 Photos that Changed the World.

A huge thanks to our Inspire Speaker Sponsor, Dr. Vogel with Mosaic Family Health