Laura Thornton sits down with Camille Fernandez, an analyst, charity runner, and proud representative of both the Philippines and the United States, to talk about how running became a way to honor family, support cancer causes, and collect a few unforgettable race memories along the way. They cover Camille's path from hating running to racing marathons abroad, plus the food, travel, and mindset that keep her coming back for more.In this episode, Camille shares how a half marathon in California changed everything, why Sydney's hills were brutal, and what it means to race in honor of family members affected by cancer. Laura and Camille also compare marathon personalities, swap race travel stories, and talk about the power of encouragement when the miles get hard.

• Camille explains her day job as an analyst for a health system and how running gives her a mental reset after long hours at a desk.
• She shares life outside running, including reading, tennis, volunteering with the Toast to St. Jude committee in Boston, and spending time with friends and family.
• The conversation goes straight to the carbs, with Camille naming chicken parm as her post-marathon favorite and honey stinger gels plus Chocolate Outrage GU as race fuel.
• Camille and Laura trade racecation stories, including Berlin, Oktoberfest, Munich, and Milan, and joke about planning race trips around food.
• Camille reflects on how she went from quitting track in high school to discovering running as a mental health outlet in college, then falling in love with the sport after a 2019 half marathon in California.
• She talks about becoming a charity runner after family experiences with breast cancer and prostate cancer, and how those personal connections fuel her in hard race moments.
• Camille describes Sydney Marathon as a dream race in Australia that came with unexpected hills, a long bathroom line, and the decision to listen to crowds instead of music for the first half.
• Laura and Camille compare major marathons as if they were people in a group chat, with Sydney as the perpetually stressed one, Boston or New York as the friend that makes bad decisions, and Philly as the one that gets blocked.
• Camille shares that London 2027 will be her next big race, and that she is running for Team Paws Chicago in memory of her dog, who recently passed away.
• The episode closes with advice for charity runners on raising money through networks, raffles, events, and even sourdough sales.