Heroes of Running
THE LEADER: ROBYN BENINCASA This elite adventure racer has helped women beat the odds and live out their athletic dreams. World-class adventure racer Robyn Benincasa has climbed the Himalayas in Nepal and trekked across lava fields in Fiji. So in 2007, when she was diagnosed with osteoarthritis and told she may never run again, Benincasa wasn't about to let a bad health report destroy her adventurous spirit. She underwent hip resurfacing surgery, and 16 weeks later, ran the Sedona Marathon with her friend Melissa Cleary by her side. "That made me think of how great it would be to bring that kind of confidence and support to other women," she says. Months later, she launched Project Athena , a nonprofit that helps women who have suffered a medical setback live out their athletic dreams. Benincasa, a 42-year-old San Diego firefighter, recruited a team of accomplished female athletes to serve as coaches and mentors to the women who apply for and receive the foundati