Running for Fishermen Wellness: Allie Sawyer
Team MCFA continues to grow, with more new runners joining a strong community of committed supporters! These volunteers participate in the Maine Marathon and raise funds to support Fishermen Wellness. This year, we're featuring a few of our new runners to show you why we run.
ALLIE SAWYER
Day job: General Manager, Freeport Oyster Bar
Race: Relay
Years running with MCFA: 1
Tell us more about you.
I’ve been an athlete my whole life – I played field hockey in high school. Actually, I was a professional horseback rider, too – my job was to care for horses being boarded locally and make sure they got good exercise. So running wasn’t my focus, but I certainly did a lot of it during those years!
I started more competitive running in 2012, 2013. My dad was diagnosed with glioblastoma (brain cancer). I had planned to work for a hotel in Vermont that year, and he told me to go and enjoy it. He went through treatments, but maybe a year and a half later he took a turn for the worse. So I moved back home to New Jersey, going to college but commuting from home. I needed an outlet to get out and do something for me. My dad had been a really active guy, always doing triathlons. We had a running joke that I would run a marathon and beat his time (not likely!) I ran my first full marathon in Burlington, VT. Soon after Dad decided to do hospice at home… but he still had the energy to give me crap about not beating his time.
Since then, I moved to Maine and had two boys. They’ve consumed my life, and I’ve been wanting to get back into it. Running is of course great for your physical health, but for me it’s also really good for my mental health. You can shut your brain off, listen to music or just enjoy silence, and have a moment for self-reflection.
My dad owned a marine supply store, he was an avid boater. Even though I grew up in New Jersey, the ocean has always been in my blood. I always get a little sad because I think my dad would really love my life here in Maine and getting to know my sons. In some way, I’m living this life for him.
When did you first get to know MCFA?
When I worked for Luke’s Lobster, before COVID, we did a few What’s the Catch events with MCFA. That’s when I first met the team – we had a lot of fun with monkfish, redfish, flounder, etc.
When I moved to Freeport Oyster Bar, I opened that with two oyster farmers. They were really focused on community, nonprofits – they wanted to build something that gave back. MCFA was one of the first nonprofits we supported. (Big fans of Dunstan Smokehouse’s smoked pollock dip!)
P.S. Try Monkfish!
Allie is a big fan of this dense and versatile groundfish, and others she discovered by working with MCFA and in seafood restaurants. Freeport Oyster Bar always serves smoked pollock dip, and often has a monkfish stew or other local seafood soup on the menu.
Try local fish at home! We've got lots of recipes here.
Why does fishermen’s wellness, or wellness generally, matter to you?
If you know fishermen, you probably know wellness is not at the forefront of their mind. Having a leg of MCFA that’s focused on that is really important. Any help toward getting fishermen to go see a doctor or talk about their mental health is important. There’s a great trend of men’s mental health becoming more open and “acceptable” which is great, but old-school Mainers are still a little resistant. If a trusted organization like MCFA can help break the shell, I love that.
What keeps you moving forward?
My kids and my family. I want to be healthy and strong for them, they’re my motivation. I was never one of those girls dreaming of getting married and having children, and now that I have they mean everything to me. They bring me so much joy.
What have you learned from your running experiences?
My first marathon I did way better than I expected. That course was tough because at mile 15 there was Battery Street, a very steep hill – I walked it. I didn’t think I was prepared, but I was overprepared. The next time I ran a half, I really underestimated the work – I was slower, I felt worse – and I learned that every race is so mental for me. The legs can keep going once you start, but you have to keep your mind focused. It’s almost a game: “I’ll walk for a bit but once I hit that building… I’m going to keep running until that telephone pole then take a quick break…” Being prepared isn’t always about working hard in advance. When you get to race day, it’s just you out there. You have to talk positively to yourself and keep yourself going.
What do you want people to know about MCFA?
What I love most about MCFA is the people. The people that work there are some of the best I’ve met in the industry. It’s been nice to meet everyone and be in that realm. When you picture Maine, you probably think coastline, the great outdoors, pretty views. But when you think about the food we eat, it all comes down to the fishermen. If they’re not around and they’re not healthy, it’s just not Maine. We might take pictures of docks and boats but that’s someone’s life, not a cool aesthetic.
When I worked at Luke’s, I actually got to know the people catching our seafood, which was super cool. I try to bring that ethos into the Oyster Bar, so that folks always know where their food came from. And I think it’s important the people who brought in that fish get credit and appreciation. A lot of people don’t know what’s behind their seafood. MCFA helps bring some light to that.
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