DOWAGIAC — In June 2018, Kim Robison, of Dowagiac, was cleaning out her refrigerator when she heard a ‘pop.’ Suffering from a meniscus tear, Robison underwent knee surgery in July and worked hard through rehabilitation. In October and November, she suffered setbacks and ended up on crutches again in December of 2018.

“I got frustrated with myself because I wanted to get my knee back to where it was,” Robison said.

To strengthen her knee and improve her health, Robison started looking up local 5K walk/racing lists. In January 2019, she created a list of 25 5K run/walks she planned to complete in 2019. She stayed away from any winter races, afraid of the walking conditions, but she wanted to complete her list by Christmas.

On Dec. 7, 2019, Robison checked off her final race, the Secret Santa 5K, and completed her racing journey. Crossing the finish line was emotional for Robison, who compared it to Rocky Balboa’s famous stair scene. 

Throughout her year-long challenge, which began on April 20 at the Super Hero 5K Walk in Benton Harbor, Robison recruited family members, friends and even coworkers to walk or run alongside her.

“To me, it’s the best 47 minutes to myself,” Robison said. “I have my earbuds on, and it’s just me and my music. People do things or talk things out or talk to God. That’s my time.”

On the challenge, Robison collected finisher medals, some first-place medals and kept records of her times.

“They aren’t the greatest, but to me, I finished. That’s my thing. I made my challenge,” Robison said, holding up her medals from the sixth annual Rescue Run in Benton Harbor, the Wine 13.1 5K Run in Baroda and her most memorable race, the Big Mac Run, a 5K run on Mackinac Bridge. Walking alongside Robison from the beginning was her 16-year-old son, Ryan.

“I pretty much roped him into running or walking some races with me, and he’s been a good sport about it,” she said. “He earned medals across the way, too. He had never been to the UP, let alone seen the bridge. My son’s holding my hand and I’m like, ‘We are really doing this.’”

Robison said she felt all kinds of emotions running on the Mackinac bridge, but mostly told herself not to look down.

While planning her challenge, Robison was also motivated to join the SWMI RACERS, a nonprofit corporation founded in August 2012 for runners and walkers in southwest Michigan. Through the group, Robison finished three series, The Fruit Belt Series, The RFR Series and the M-140 Series. Each series included running in five races. As she competed in more 5Ks, she developed friendships with other runners from the group and would banter with them at the start and finish lines. She planted the running seed in her boss, Lisa Houdek, who ended up completing the Fruit Belt series alongside Robison. Houdek was a supporter of Robison immediately following her surgery.

Little parts of racing were fun to Robison, like developing a pre-race ritual. She would wake up, brush her teeth, put on her running clothes, which sometimes included a pair of “funny socks” to match the race’s theme, and head to McDonald’s for a smoothie and two cookies. 

“If I don’t do it, I am not going to do well today,” Robison said of the seriousness surrounding her ritual.

Her race travels took her to St. Joseph, Benton Harbor, Coloma, Baroda, Niles, South Haven, Eau Claire, Paw-Paw, Kalamazoo, Lawrence, Watervliet, South Haven, Decatur and Mackinac. No matter the location, when she stepped up to the line, nerves still hit.

“It’s like doing homework when you are a kid,” she said. “Am I going to pass this grade or am I going to fail? I always make sure I don’t fall. When I have fallen, I got myself picked up and walked again to make sure I ended it or finished.”

Robison, who will be 45 next summer, plans to continue to experience local 5Ks she has not tried yet. She wants to return to the Big Mac Run, try a few in Grand Haven and compete in the Blossomtime parade’s affiliated race.

“Some of them are costly, but it’s worth it in the end because they are neat races to do,” she said. “I paid for one a week. My little splurge on myself.”

Along the way, Robison’s challenge is documented by photos and selfies before and after each race. She even raced the sixth annual Rescue Run, which supports veterans, with her sister Kristina Michels, Ryan, her daughter, Jewelianna, and her dog, Frankie. Throughout the challenge, Robison said her family was some of her biggest cheerleaders.

“I was trying to make it fun for myself and my son. That was the best part of it,” she said. “We had a good time. I couldn’t believe I did it. Plant the seed and see how far that seed goes.”