ALUMNI: From field to track: Loran Lewis Wyman’s running journey

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By Grace Kishiyama,

BlueDevilHUB.com Staff–

Loran Lewis Wyman spent her time running track and field, writing, and reading when she attended Davis High. Running became a passion of Lewis Wyman, as well as a continued personal challenge throughout the years.

The 1986 graduate ran track for the first time as a sophomore in high school, running the 400-meter event. “DHS definitely played an important part in my passion for running,” she said.

Although at the time her main focus was field hockey, Lewis Wyman was immediately drawn to track. She fell in love with it, “even though [she] wasn’t the fastest runner on the team.”

Lewis Wyman found that track was something she could finally call her own. “[Track] was the first thing I found that I was really good at,” Lewis Wyman said.

When it came to going to college, Lewis Wyman had her mind set on playing field hockey for Chico State University. However, Lewis Wyman decided to be a walk on at the last minute for Chico State’s track team, which she ran on for all four years as a short distance runner. She did not end up playing field hockey.

Her college career on the track team shaped her philosophy for her view on life and how she would raise her three children.

Lewis Wyman’s coach in college had played on the well-known football team the Green Bay Packers. The Packers’ coach at the time was Vince Lombardi.

Lombardi taught his team to work hard, expressing to them that they would be able to achieve anything they put their mind to. According to Lewis Wyman, her coach “coached [them] with a similar mentality.”

Now, Lewis Wyman runs marathons in her free time and goes running two to three times a week. When she was in high school, she never imagined she would become a marathoner as she had always been a short distance runner.

“Even 20 years ago, I would have laughed if you told me I would become a marathon runner,” Lewis Wyman said.

The transition from becoming a short distance runner to a long distance runner was a “slow shift.” She started out running five-kilometer runs, which she found easy, so she moved on to 10 kilometers and then half-marathons.

Lewis Wyman decided to start training for marathons once they “became a challenge.” Although she is not currently training for a marathon, she hopes to run one in the upcoming year.

In addition to running, her job in global marketing for Hewlett Packard Enterprise is another main component of her life.

DHS also played an important role in Lewis Wyman’s current job. Former teacher Bev Ballard taught her writing skills she still uses in her work today.