Barefoot Iowa runner uses cross-country trip to aid charity

IOWA CITY - With no shoes on her feet, Rae Heim jogged up to the Old Capitol on a hot and humid Sunday afternoon.

Beads of sweat trickled off the 18-year-old from Carroll as she reached her temporary destination. She was tired but in good spirits.

“The first week was really difficult,” Heim said. “I was ready to throw in the towel.”

Heim is running across the United States, a 3,000-mile journey that began April 1 in Boston and will end in Huntington Beach, Calif., by late November. And she's doing it barefoot.

She's conquered about 1,200 miles so far, finding a rhythm along the way.

“Ever since that first week, it's been kind of a breeze. I knocked down my mileage, so I'd enjoy the experience along the way,” Heim said.

The idea started off as a personal challenge, but before she hit the pavement, it turned into something more meaningful.

“A couple of months before I started, I decided I had a huge opportunity to help people along the way,” Heim said.

She started a website where she documents her journey and raises money for Soles4Souls, a group that provides shoes for children.

“Every dollar that gets donated to the organization,” she said, “a child will get a pair of shoes.”

Heim's feet are filthy and calloused, but so far she hasn't had any major injuries. She actually started running barefoot regularly in March 2011.

“I had a broken toe and it was super uncomfortable running with shoes,” she said.“I just stayed barefoot once it healed.”

The summer heat is the only factor that gives her a hard time. When it does get hot, Heim throws on a pair of very thin toe socks to keep her from getting seriously burned.

Family friend Brenda Greteman joined Heim on her journey into Iowa City. She says Heim's mother, Lesleh, is a huge inspiration for her as a fitness coach and all-around independent self-starter.

“She's raised her kids like I can't say enough,” Greteman said.“With (Heim) running without her shoes and to understand how that feels, it's amazing.”

Heim graduated from high school in January, and her trip is being sponsored by fitness apparel company RunGirlRun. She'll share stories from her travels during an appearance at We Run in North Liberty at 6 p.m. Wednesday.

“People should take away from this that anything is possible, because prior to my freshman year of high school, I had never ran more than a mile in my life,” she said Sunday. “You just got to make your goals and go for it, because no one can really stop you.”

Follow along

For more information or to donate, visit Heim's website at

flavors.me/raeainslee.