For Melissa Ritz, running isn’t just a hobby—it’s who she is. Now a certified running coach after a career in teaching, Melissa channels her experiences with mental health into helping others, drawing on the lessons she’s learned across every mile she has logged.
Navigating the emergence of mental health challenges
Difficulties with mental well-being have been a presence in Melissa’s life as long as she can remember. As a child, she experienced a devastating loss when her aunt died by suicide, triggering her initial confrontations with anxiety. “I worried about the possibility of losing someone else in my life every day after that,” she recalls. “I was only 11 years old, and I didn’t know that was what it was.”
By 19, Melissa recognized that she had developed symptoms of depression—something that affected both sides of her family—so she made the crucial decision to seek professional help. As she anticipated, she was diagnosed with depression and general anxiety disorder, and began a path of treatment that included therapy and medication.
As many who manage chronic depression know, it can be an insidious partner throughout life. In her late 30s, Melissa experienced a significant setback when a major depressive episode took hold, confronting her with a monumental challenge that would last for two years. “I lost my drive to live,” she admits. “I lost interest in all the things I loved doing and eventually had to take a medical leave from work. I was simply existing.”
Those two years remain largely a blur for her, which she remembers as perhaps the hardest period of her life. It was through the unwavering support of her husband, family, and friends, combined with proper medication and a newfound activity, that she eventually found her way back to wanting to experience life again.
Discovering balance through running
Running entered Melissa’s life by chance when a friend invited her to participate in a 5K. “I said, ‘what is a 5K?’” she laughs about asking her friend. “I did that one and then I was hooked.”
That race sparked something profound—a simple curiosity quickly evolved into a passion that would become a transformative pursuit in her mental health journey. Now, with 16 years of running experience under her belt, Melissa has tackled increasingly ambitious goals, completing four marathons, qualifying for the Boston Marathon three times, and now preparing for the 2025 London Marathon, her third World Major.
The impact of running on her well-being became increasingly evident as she dedicated herself to the sport. “Running, along with medication and therapy, is the balance for me,” she explains. “I feel like when I am running, I am my best. Movement is so important for me.”
Building strength through persistence
That connection between being active and mental wellness became starkly apparent during her darkest days when she couldn’t bring herself to run—or even go for a walk. Something that had become such a fundamental part of her routine now felt impossibly out of reach. “When you're in that state, you don't want to do anything.”
But when she reached deep down, Melissa rediscovered something about her own resilience. The very discipline and determination that running had cultivated in her became the foundation for her recovery. “Running taught me that I can do hard things. That I can push through tough times,” she reflects. “If you can get through miles 20 to 26 in a marathon, you can get through anything. That’s really challenging, both physically and mentally. So I dig to that place and then go through it. I just feel like a stronger person because of running.”
This hard-won wisdom became invaluable during her journey back to wellness. Each small step forward, literal and metaphorical, drew upon the same reserves of strength she had built through countless training runs and races. The parallel between enduring a marathon’s challenges and navigating mental health struggles became increasingly clear—both require patience, persistence, and the courage to keep going even when the finish line seems distant.
A personal best, for Nana
Perhaps nowhere was this resilience more evident than during the 2024 Berlin Marathon, which Melissa ran under extraordinary circumstances: in addition to difficulties training due to a hamstring tear, her grandmother passed away the day before she departed for Germany.
But rather than withdrawing, she ran in her grandmother’s honor.
“It was a toss-up whether I was going or not, but I got to speak to her the day before. I told her, ‘Nana, I'm going to run the race for you,’” she remembers. “And she was shaking her head, ‘yes.’”
Throughout the race, she found herself in conversation with her grandmother’s spirit, drawing strength from her memory to push through fatigue and doubt. “I just remember putting on the Still I Run jersey and that was my purpose. I got to talk to my grandmother throughout the whole race; wherever she was, she was with me that day.”
That comfort was a strong factor in Melissa not only finishing the race, but setting a personal record. “Around the half marathon mark, I thought, ‘I don’t really want to do this anymore. I’m tired. I don’t think I can do this,’” she said. “But then I remembered the struggles she went through and struggles that other people go through. And that motivated me to push on and get to the finish.”
Paying it forward
Melissa’s drive to take her life experiences and harness them to create a meaningful impact extends to her involvement with Still I Run, which has given her a platform to share her story and inspire others. “I always want my races to be about something bigger than me,” she says. “When I discovered Still I Run ahead of Berlin, I really wanted to be part of and represent an organization that provides resources for something I care deeply about. I was proud to meet my fundraising goal and wear the race jersey.”
Her proclivity for doing big things also brought her passion into her professional life. After 18 years of teaching fifth-grade reading and language arts, Melissa made a bold career change, becoming a certified running coach. This transition, inspired by a running retreat she attended in Maine with eight women, allowed her to combine her teaching skills with her love of running. “Through the pandemic, things shifted and I was looking for a different path. Being a coach is still teaching, just in a different manner,” she says. “I like connecting with others and seeing them reach their goals is always amazing.”
As she looks toward future races and continues developing her coaching practice, Melissa remains committed to spreading awareness about the connection between mental health and being active which has benefitted her so much. Her advice to her running students and new runners alike embodies her philosophy of perseverance: “Be patient, trust the process, and celebrate small victories along the way.”
