EXCLUSIVE: Couple in Recovery Leads Run Club in Erie, Looking for New Members

Kelly Welsh and Mark Zukowski run for their lives. It means so much to them because it has been a lifesaver...literally.

"When nothing else was there, I could run," Zukowski said.

Zukowski says he grew up in a drug-abusive household.

"My addiction ruined my life, my father's life, my family's life," Zukowski said. "I was a product of my environment."

Now, he is over two years clean. 

"If I can do it, you can do it," Zukowski said. "I thought I was a lost cause for sure."

Welsh has a similar story to Zukowski. For two years, she has also been in long-term recovery for drug and alcohol addiction.

"Coming into this two years ago, I wasn't even able to string a sentence together," Welsh said.

In fact, Zukowski and Welsh met in recovery and have been together for over a year.

"I have a newfound sense of freedom, of self," Welsh said.

Through it all, they've ascended to new heights, not just climbing the walls inside Ascend Erie downtown. They have also taken charge of Ascend's Run Club since April 2024.

"I haven't missed a time yet," Welsh said.

The couple leads the club on runs every second Sunday of each month, taking routes to the Bayfront. They always looking for new members.

For more information on the club, click here. Guests can also sign up through the Meetup app. The next group run will be Sunday, Sept. 8 at 10 a.m.

"I want to give back," Zukowski said. "I want to teach what I've learned in my recovery process and in my life."