Marathon Running Got Man Back on His Feet

For Soulieo Kirby, running has shown him how far he can go in life. As he gears up for his fifth New York City Marathon on Nov. 4, the formerly homeless 45-year-old is excited about the race and his future.

“There is nothing that I feel now I can’t do,” Kirby told The Epoch Times.

Kirby’s early years growing up in New Jersey had been tumultuous, with him spending time in foster care or living with various family members. In 1996, at the age of 23, he was arrested and incarcerated for selling drugs.

When he was released from prison in 2001, he had to fend for himself. He wanted to better himself, but how?

He began living in a homeless shelter, and was trying diligently to piece his life back together. One day he was leaving the shelter to do his laundry when he was stopped by a good Samaritan. The man talked with Kirby, and immediately saw potential. He sent him to The Fortune Society, a nonprofit that assists formerly incarcerated persons with housing and reentry into society. Now Kirby had a place to live, and he could focus on his education.

It was at this transitional housing location that Kirby heard about Back on My Feet. The nonprofit uses running as a tool to help the homeless live up to their full potential.