Episode 78 is available nearly anywhere podcasts are heard, including Apple and Spotify... Please share this with a friend who might enjoy learning about the culture of running with inspiring stories from across the globe!
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| Chris, Brendan and Diana Twiggs in Ukraine |
This episode features the inspiring story of Chris Twiggs, Diana Twiggs, and their son Brendan Twiggs, who relentlessly dedicate their time to relief work in Ukraine and perhaps more importantly build friendships of solidarity.
Diana Twiggs, a practicing physician, started volunteering with International Medical Relief, providing essential medical care and support in urgent regions. The organization’s initiatives are focused especially now on Ukrainian refugees at border areas and the internally displaced, helping where it’s needed most.
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| Chris & Diana post-Kyiv Marathon, with Medals! |
Through Diana’s example, Chris and Brendan have joined the cause. Chris, well known in the running community as the National Training Director for the Galloway Run-Walk-Run program, partners with Diana on trips to Ukraine, bringing medical supplies and supporting humanitarian efforts, and spreading the word. Their latest visit included both Lviv—a vital base for relief work close to the Polish border—and the capital Kyiv, where they participated in the Kyiv Marathon, standing in solidarity with Ukraine’s resilient spirit and thousands of fellow runners. They also brought medical relief supplies most recently to Traveling Colonels, a group of military veterans providing critical medical relief to the front lines where through dedicated people across the country.
Brendan Twiggs stands out for his ongoing commitment, joining us from the streets of Lviv as we hear the sounds of everyday life in his daily commute. He is now living in Lviv and working primarily at the Lviv Volunteer Kitchen—founded in 2014 when Russia invaded Crimea by caring individuals; created from the community itself, rather than an NGO or large international relief effort. It serves as a voice and a hub for internally displaced people and place to connect relief workers to needs on the ground.
The Twiggs' reflections in this episode emphasize how showing up for others can bridge divides and demonstrate in person that Ukrainians are not forgotten, underscoring the meaningful impact of personal diplomacy by also sharing the realities of war with friends and family back home in the United States. They also emphasize the harrowing actions that everyday Ukrainians are taking to support their neighbors and countrymen as they fight to regain peace while striving to live a meaningful life each day.
***Get Involved, Advocate, Give or Learn More***
- International Medical Relief: https://internationalmedicalrelief.org/Medical supplies were also brought to Kyiv through Traveling Colonels: https://
thetravelingcolonels.com/ - Lviv Volunteer Kitchen Charity: Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/lvivkitchen/ or through local Ukrainian relief networks.
- Kyiv Marathon:
Event info at https://kyivmarathon.org/ and through charity run directories.
***Take Action: Contact Your Representatives***
Your voice matters. Get informed and then urge continued support for Ukraine by contacting your US representatives:
- Find Your Elected Officials: https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials
Direct link for Senate and House contacts. 
Lviv Volunteer Kitchen in Action! 
Family Affair: Arriving With Supplies in Tow from USA Donations
As fellow Galloway run-walk-runners, it’s an honor to witness Brendan, Chris and Diana’s commitment—on running courses and in humanitarian work. Their story is a testament to how each person, by showing up and sharing, can contribute to hope and resilience in meaningful ways. Small actions—being informed, making contact, sharing stories—add up to remarkable collective impact.
-Post by Mark Lane-Holbert
