Inspirational Athlete Spotlight: An Unstoppable Journey

My name is Monique White, I’m originally from Los Angeles and live in The Hague, The Netherlands where I’ve lived for 20 years. I have 2 daughters, Paris and Vanessa who are 17 and 14 respectively.

You mention you are a mom to 2 beautiful and smart kids. How does being a mother impact your own lifestyle choices?

It’s very important for me to model not only an active lifestyle for my daughters but a life that is authentic and allows me to live my passion and purpose.

You have been running the world, literally! 34 countries on 6 continents. What drives you to run and travel? Why are running and traveling passions for you? 

What drives me is that I enjoy both immensely. When I seriously began running the world, it was an attempt for me to grab hold of theme that I was watching disappear being a trailing spouse (at the time) and mother. The idea of losing oneself is very real, and this passion of mine for running and traveling was a way for me to find myself and that was totally separate from a theme that seemed to belong to everyone else.

Many of us live vicariously through you as you run the world through your popular Instagram accounts of An Unstoppable Journey and A Runstoppable Journey. Where have been some of your favorite and least favorite places to run?

My favorites include the race Paris to Versailles because I love Paris, France and because it was my first destination race. Also, Barcelona, Spain because it was after watching the Olympics in Barcelona in 1992 that I began running. Jerusalem, which for me as a Christian, was unbelievably moving and also the Great Wall of China because…it is the Great Wall of China. My least favorite has to be in North London. I’d say it ranks as the ugliest, one of the most uninspiring courses I’ve ever run.

A goal of yours is to run 50 countries by the time you are 50 years old. First off you look 25, but more importantly what are some daily habits you do to take care of yourself?

Drinking enough water, getting enough sleep, and running. I do need to work on improving my eating habits, to eat clean(er). Also, I have discovered other secrets to a well-maintained life also includes having a consistent prayer life, while letting go of chaos and pursuing peace.

What are some of your upcoming goals? 

After being sidelined much of last year due to injury, my primary goal is to conquer those countries for that 50×50. Other goals I have are to eventually run that 7^th continent, and since I detest the cold, I’m trying to psyche myself up for doing a race in Antarctica one day. I’d also like to run the World Marathon Majors.

What advice would you give to someone who aspires to see the world but feels held back for whatever reason, personal, financial, etc?

My advice would be to do it. Don’t let anything hold you back. I would also remind them that travel doesn’t have to be expensive, nor does it require crossing an ocean or going to a foreign country. Travel can be as simple as exploring the different cities and cultures in the town, state, or country where you live.