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Running with, and writing about, Joan Benoit Samuelson

Wednesday morning, Joan Benoit Samuelson hit the road with runners from the Telling Room, this year's Beach to Beacon 10K race beneficiary

PORTLAND, Maine — An interview with an Olympic gold medalist is a great get for a recent high school graduate.

A runner herself, Wilson Haims knows how lucky she is to speak one-on-one with a woman who made history in a big way.

"I watched on Youtube the video of her in the first women's marathon in the Olympics in LA," says Haims. "It's just so inspiring."

Soon, Haims will take that inspiration and put it into words. She's writing an article on Benoit Samuelson -- something other teens might find intimidating, but not Haims.

That's because Haims is an alum of the Telling Room, a non-profit that builds confidence a creativity in young Mainers by developing their writing skills. The Telling Room is this year's Beach to Beacon 10K race beneficiary and will receive $30,000 dollars to help more kids find their voice.

"You can't do anything if you can't write and communicate and be curious," says Celine Kuhn, Executive Director of the Telling Room. "We're really excited to learn about the stories of the runners of the Beach to Beacon, because every runner has a story, from start to finish."

Haims is one step ahead -- not only is she planning to write about Joanie, she's training with her, too.

"I tell everybody our sport is a two way road of inspiration," says Benoit Samuelson. "We're inspired by the good work the Telling Room does in our community and our state, and if they can gain inspiration from our passion for running, that's great."

With every step, a new chapter of Beach to Beacon book is written, and thanks to the generosity of the community, a new group of young Mainers is becoming more well-equipped to tell it.

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