f a c u lt y a n d s t a f f n e w s
LABS TO OBSTACLE COURSE LAPS NCCU BIOLOGY RESEARCHER IS WORLD-CLASS IN OBSTACLE RACING
Most people do their best to avoid unnecessary obstacles, but NCCU assistant professor Jodie M. Fleming actually seeks them out. Fleming, a breast cancer researcher at BRITE, loves to challenge herself and others on obstacle courses, and even has her sights set on the next world championship. In fall 2018, she conquered two big events: the Obstacle Course Racing World Championship in London, U.K., and the World’s Toughest
Mudder competition
Entering two races, the 3K and the 15K, Jodie M. Fleming came out 12th and 13th, respectively, in the 35-to 39-year age group.
18 I NCCU NOW I SUMMER 2019
in Fairburn, Ga. The World Championship in London took place in October, just after Fleming learned she was a few weeks pregnant. This added new obstacles to the challenge, including hormonal issues and a ban on caffeine, she recalled. Entering two races, the 3K and the 15K, Fleming came out 12th and 13th, respectively, in the 35-to 39-year age group. A month later, she was in Georgia running a fivemile gauntlet of obstacles that changed repeatedly over a 24-hour period.
“I was able to finish 25 miles, even though I was hoping for 50 miles,” she said. “During the day it was manageable, but between 1 and 4 a.m. in the dark, it was freezing!” Through the rest of the winter and spring, Fleming took a break from workouts. She and her husband, Carl Falish, welcomed their new son, Liam Alexander, on May 15, 2019. She said she plans to return to training and competition soon.
“I will ramp it back up in July and hope to qualify for the North American Championships in August,” Fleming said. “If that’s not enough time to recover, I will shoot for qualification to the World Championship later in the year.” Fleming joined the NCCU faculty in 2012. When she’s not training for competition or spending time with her family, she teaches molecular cell physiology and investigates aggressive, metastatic breast cancer, a disease that disproportionately affects African American women.
BY RENEE ELDER