About Humbly Courageous
Meet Amy
I started this journey in 2019 by writing a weekly blog to process the journey of my life with a disability. My husband and I ran our first marathon together to help raise awareness for Muscular Dystrophy. By the end of that year, I had gone from advocating as a local ambassador for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) to being named their State Ambassador by 2020. Throughout Covid, I began posting videos on social media which gained attention from across the world as I began to meet others just like me. By 2022, I was named as the National Ambassador for MDA. Currently, I write a weekly column for my local newspaper, The Hamilton County Reporter and I also write guest blogs for Hamilton County Tourism, “Know Before You Go.”
The Meaning Behind Humbly Courageous
When forced to be courageous in an everyday battle, humility is inevitable. That is the thought that came to mind when I was trying to think of what to name my blog. I wanted it to be a couple of words that I felt best summed me up. Humbly Courageous is what popped into my head, and it felt meant to be. The reason I call it humble courage is because it is not the kind of puff up your chest courage people talk about, but more of a quiet, humble, inner courage. A courage that has carried me through a life with a disability.
Meet Jamie
I am a civil engineer by profession with a heart for seeing the potential in people, even when it seems unlikely to others. Amy and I were high school sweethearts soon after meeting at ages 14 and 15. I was a former soccer player turned marathoner out of love for my sons who I did not want to run alone when they first discovered competitive running in elementary school. I decided to join them and fell in love with it. At first, we started with 5k’s, and then a half-marathon. My first marathon was in 2015 at the Indy Monumental running for World Vision. I have completed a total of 11 marathons, five of which were with Amy. My most notable solo marathon accomplishment is my first Boston Marathon in 2018 where I beat Galen Rupp in 38 degrees, rain and 25 mph winds (to be fair, Olympian Galen dropped out under these extreme conditions)! I am passionate about joining Amy in our mission to help others with disabilities through our efforts with Humbly Courageous.
The Duo Bike
The story of the duo bike was serendipitous. The first duo bike we used was a loaner bike. The idea of trying a 5k together was in the back of our minds after trying a duo bike out at the Boston Marathon expo when Jamie was running in 2019. The next thing we knew, our contact at the Muscular Dystrophy Association called and asked if we wanted to come and pick up a loaner duo bike. His next question was asking if we wanted to run the Chicago marathon which was only about four months away. The rest is history. The duo bike we have now was gifted to us by a donor who wishes to remain anonymous. We are profoundly grateful for this bike and the experiences it has brought to our lives. One of our ambitious goals is to be able to pay it forward and donate at least one duo bike to others who would like to run together as we do. At nearly $5,000 each, we are hoping our community of followers will help us with this endeavor!
Team Humbly Courageous
High School Sweethearts Face Adversity, Marathon Together
“Two-time Boston Marathon finisher Jamie Shinneman is training with his wife Amy, who has Muscular Dystrophy, in a duo bike chair to lead her to her first ever finish line at the 2019 Chicago Marathon.” Hamilton County Reporter
This is where Team Humbly Courageous began!
Related Posts
Quest Media Guest Blog Post
May 26, 2023
Hello! Thanks for stopping by Humbly Courageous! This week’s post is actually over on MDA’s Quest Blog. Click the link blow to check it out! See you back here next week with a regular weekly blog post! 💚https://mdaquest.org/mda-ambassador-guest-blog-taking-care-of-our-mental-health/
Adapt to find your passion!
July 2, 2021
Hello, and welcome back! I was recently invited by the Muscular Dystrophy Association to be a guest on a Facebook live with a couple of other experts in the field of adaptive recreation. I was honored to be asked, but […]
The Meaning Behind Humbly Courageous
January 8, 2021
When you are forced to be courageous in an everyday battle, humility is inevitable. This is the thought that came to mind when I was trying to think of what to name my blog. I wanted it to be a […]