By William Cramp Fit Flyers reporters | Elaine Gonzalez Johnson met her best friend when they were students at William Cramp. They’re still best friends, have been to each other’s weddings, and are godparents to each other’s children.
In an interview with the Fit Flyer, Mrs. Gonzalez Johnson spoke about her roots at Cramp and her work today in philanthropy and empowering women.
She remembers her third-grade teacher telling her, “You are going to be amazing,” and she took that idea with her after she graduated from Cramp. Mrs. Gonzalez Johnson recently visited Cramp to celebrate Women’s History Month by speaking to the entire school in an assembly.
She is the founder and chief executive officer of Latinas in Motion (LIM). It was “organized to encourage, inspire, and empower women to get active,” according to the group’s website.
Mrs. Gonzalez Johnson began to run to get back into shape after she had her first child. When she first started running races, she noticed there were not many Latinas around her. She wanted to support them. “Who you surround yourself with makes a difference. Your village matters,” she said.
“Having social connections and a sense of belonging are protective factors to help you manage stress and give you a … feeling that you are not alone,” say experts at the Mayo Clinic, a hospital and research institution. Being active with others makes for more fun.
Running LIM is not Mrs. Gonzalez Johnson’s full-time job. She works in philanthropy as her day job. Her organization gives money to groups that help young people read, or that give youth opportunities they might not otherwise have.
“You don’t have to pick one thing. When you grow up, you don’t have to choose to be only one thing. You are limitless. I don’t believe you were created to do one thing. You have the right to change your mind,” said Mrs. Gonzalez Johnson.
Even though LIM started in Philadelphia, it now has 5,000 members across the country, according to Mrs. Gonzalez Johnson. Her daughter is a member and both her daughter and son enjoy running with her, she said.
Illustration by Kailyn, 5th grade, Cramp, 2025-26.
