Hero Spotlight: Keya Reed-Redmond

Running for children like her: Why Keya Reed-Redmond is Racing for Mercy Home 

Keya M. Reed-Redmond was just a teenager when she ran out of options.

Growing up in Baltimore as the oldest of nine children, she faced instability from the start. Her father was killed when she was three years old, caught up in drugs and gang violence. At home, support from her mother was inconsistent, and by the time she reached high school, she had been expelled from every school in the Baltimore public school system.

“I didn’t want to end up like my mother,” she said. “I knew there was something better.”

With nowhere left to turn, Reed-Redmond made a decision that would change her life. She walked into a local church in search of answers. 

“I knew I needed help, but I didn’t know how it was going to come,” Reed-Redmond said. 

The bishop sensed that she needed support, and he assigned an elder at the church, Bobbie Owens, to look after her. Not only did she find guidance, but he became someone willing to step in when she needed it most.

He made sure she had clothes, school supplies, and a place to spend the holidays. Over time, he became more than a mentor.

“He started calling himself my godfather,” she said. “As time went on, he just became Dad.”

With that support, Reed-Redmond’s life changed. She graduated high school early, earned her bachelor’s degree from Coppin State University in just two years, joined the Missouri Army National Guard, and went on to graduate from law school in 2019.

“Once I had that opportunity, I ran with it,” she said. “I wanted to make him proud.”

Today, she carries that experience with her as she prepares to run the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on behalf of Mercy Home for Boys & Girls, an organization that resonates with her own story.

“When I saw their mission, I didn’t have to look any further,” she said. “They are doing what people did for me when I was growing up.”

Her motivation is simple. She knows how different her life could have been.

“I just want to be able to be that person for somebody now. ... “I say this all the time that I probably wouldn’t be here without him,” she said. “And if I was, it wouldn’t be in a courtroom defending somebody.”

She remains committed to her family, helping to raise one of her nieces who now lives with her, and Reed-Redmond is determined to give her opportunities she never had.

“I want to pay it forward,” she said. “It’s in me to try my best to do what I can.”

That same mindset fuels her running journey. She began running in 2021 while deployed in El Paso, Texas. She initially started running to lose weight, but it ultimately became a passion. After completing a half marathon and setting a personal record, she’s now preparing for her biggest challenge yet. And in doing so, she’s honoring the legacy of Owens who died in 2023. 

Each mile she runs in Chicago is a tribute to the man who changed her life and a commitment to helping others find the same support she once needed.

“He fed, nurtured, and cared for me as if I was his child,” she said. “He was my family. He was my everything.”