A Day in the Life: Jamie Retherford

Jamie Retherford is an Occupational Therapy Assistant and runner hailing from Chillicothe, Ohio and now residing in Vancouver, WA. In this edition of “A Day in the Life” Jamie shares about how her personal and professional life have been affected by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

How has the last month been for you?

It has been an adjustment. I’m fortunate to still be going to work but I definitely miss seeing my friends and I had to cancel my trip back home to visit my family.

What’s changed for you at your place of work?

I work at a skilled nursing facility so we’re taking a lot of precautions to prevent anyone getting the virus. There’s a lot of tension and anxiety but everyone is healthy and trying to stay positive.

What’s something others might not realize about the work you’re doing right now?

It’s pretty much impossible to maintain a social distance as a therapist, and although my job is high risk for contacting the virus, I feel empowered to do what I do and help people.

What differences have you noticed in the ways that your communities are operating? (Whether that’s your place of work, neighborhood, clubs, inner friend circle...)

I’ve noticed more people out walking and wearing masks in my community. When I‘ve went to the store I’ve noticed some people aren’t very good at social distancing and aren’t taking it seriously.

Have you had to make any adjustments to your schedule or routine for yourself or other members of your family?

I was lifting and doing strength workouts at CrossFit so I’ve had to be creative and do things at home or outdoors.

How has running/fitness fit into your life with everything that’s going on?

Running is going well. Although I don’t have a race on the calendar, it’s a little bit of pressure taken away to focus on workouts and increasing my mileage. I’m doing the Run Free Grand Prix series and I’m looking forward to racing the half marathon in May.