Beyond the Finish Line

By Alison Cardoza • Photos By Matt Johnson

Tracy Green didn't start running because she dreamed of qualifying for Boston or representing Team USA. She started because, at 21 years old, she couldn't make it to her third-floor college classes without getting winded - and she found that more than a little embarrassing.

A Couch to 5K program seemed like a reasonable solution. When the training plan eventually called for her to run two miles without stopping, she didn't think it was possible - until she did it.

That moment changed the course of her life.

Nearly 20 years later, Tracy has completed 16 marathons and qualified for the Boston Marathon each time. She set a personal best of 2:57:03 at the 2016 Indianapolis Monumental Marathon, finishing ninth overall among more than 1,700 women. She later discovered the run-bike-run duathlon and has since qualified for Team USA multiple times. Most recently, she earned an age-group podium finish at the 2026 USA Triathlon National Championships and will represent Team USA at the 2027 Standard Distance Duathlon World Championships in Edmonton.

But ask Tracy what running has given her, and race results aren't the first thing she'll mention.

Running carried her through divorce, career changes, injuries, marriage, and the uncertainty that comes with every new chapter. It introduced her to lifelong friends, led her to her husband, Chris - a 3:03 marathoner and three-time Ironman finisher - and ultimately inspired her to pursue a career helping others discover confidence through movement.

For the past 10 years, Tracy has taught Pilates at Baptist Health Milestone Wellness Center, where she also teaches barre and indoor cycling. Inspired by longtime instructor Sue Schoenberger, Tracy became an instructor because she wanted to create the same welcoming, encouraging atmosphere that had first inspired her. Today, she strives to make every participant - from first-timers to seasoned athletes - feel that they belong.

She also coaches with Personal Best Training, helping runners pursue goals ranging from completing their first 5K to competing at the highest levels of endurance sports.

Tracy works professionally in public relations, but she believes movement has been the thread connecting every chapter of her life. Whether she is navigating one of life's biggest transitions, recovering from an injury, or pursuing a new athletic goal, running reminds her that she is capable of more than she imagined.

Today, that same belief shapes how she teaches, coaches, and competes. She believes movement has the power to transform lives - not because everyone will become a marathoner or qualify for a world championship, but because everyone deserves the opportunity to discover that they are stronger, more resilient, and more capable than they think.

At Baptist Health Milestone Wellness Center, we believe every form of exercise has the power to improve health, relieve stress, and bring people together. Running is one of the simplest ways to improve overall health because it trains several systems at once, including the heart, lungs, muscles, bones, and nervous system.

Alison Cardoza - ACSM Certified Personal Trainer and FiTOUR Group Exercise Instructor at Baptist Health Milestone Wellness Center. Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science and Sports Medicine, with a minor in Health Promotion, from the University of Louisville. Former University of Louisville Ladybird and NFL Indianapolis Colts cheerleader.