Running for Delesha: Elaine Avery's 10k Has a Deeper Meaning
Elaine Avery has worked at Atlantic Union Bank for 18 years. As the Director of the Customer Care Center, she loves what she does, and some of her fondest memories at work include her late coworker and friend, Delesha Bowden.
“Our relationship was wonderful,” said Elaine. “When I first met her, she was the branch manager in the Staples Mill office. Then I hired her to be the Assistant Manager for the Customer Care Center. We had such a fun working relationship. We had like a mother-daughter relationship. She was somebody that was so impressive because she was so driven, and she had the thirst to learn everything. She was just growing, and she was on such a great path.”
Sadly, Delesha’s life was cut short due to domestic violence. She passed away at the age of 27.
Although they were close, Elaine didn’t know the details of Delesha’s situation.
“She was the most happy-go-lucky person at work. There for her team and always so excited,” she said.
She hopes that Delesha’s story can encourage others to seek help and know that there are people, and resources, at the ready to help them.
The two worked together for a number of years and grew very attached to one another. They joked around frequently and loved to trick each other. One of Elaine’s favorite memories is how Delesha would say, ‘Oh Elaine!’ when laughing or teasing.
“We had fun at work. We had a hard job, but we had a whole lot of fun,” Elaine said.
The two motivated each other by participating in challenges offered by Atlantic Union Bank. One of these was a weight loss challenge where employees put money in a pot to be awarded to the winner. Delesha worked out before work and was always seeking ways to be active afterward. She ended up losing 50 lbs. and won the company competition! To keep the momentum going, Delesha and Elaine planned to do the Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k the following year. Tragically, that couldn’t happen, but it inspired Elaine to finish her friend’s race for her.
In 2015, Elaine participated in the 10k in honor of Delesha and has continued to do so every year since.
“My first one I’m like, ‘Can I really do this?’. The closer I got, the more determined I got to cross the finish line,” said Elaine. “I’ve got to cross that finish line. That first year I remembered I had purple balloons. Her favorite color was purple. Now I wear a t-shirt with her on it. It’s almost like I can hear her saying, ‘You CAN do this!’”
She’s continued to stay close with Delesha’s parents. A couple of years ago she ran into Delesha’s father on race day with about a mile to go to the finish line. It’s the shared experience and love for Delesha that continues to bind them together. Over the years various AUB teammates, along with other members of Delesha’s family have joined Elaine on her 10k journeys, and donned their purple shirts.
“I think it can teach others that it’s really not all about you,” said Elaine. “It’s not about me, so I want others to be encouraged to do it for those that might not have been able to finish their race. When you put yourself aside and think about others, it’s such a rewarding experience for me.”
Elaine also wants others to know that it’s never too late to start making strides towards an active lifestyle. She loves the positivity race day brings and the camaraderie created from perfect strangers cheering one another on. And even though she has been known to get caught up in the excitement and stop to dance to the bands, she does usually end up pushing ahead of the crew she walks with.
One thing she never loses sight of, however, is celebrating Delesha and their special relationship every step of the way.
“She was so special. I will do what I can to keep her name alive, and this is just another way to do it.”
If you or a loved one are experiencing domestic violence know that help and support is available today (https://www.thehotline.org/).
