Story: Lisa Sollie
“Tell me I can’t do something, and I’ll do it just to prove you wrong,” says Mandy Leonardi, a 2013 graduate of the University of West Alabama. That mindset, shaped by years of discipline and determination, has fueled Leonardi’s path from military life to the finish lines of major marathons—and even into the spotlight of reality television.
A former medic in the U.S. Army, Leonardi decided after her enlistment to pursue a master’s degree in education, with a specialization in physical education at UWA. After earning an undergraduate degree in athletic training from Samford University, Leonardi was excited to work as a graduate assistant in UWA’s Athletic Training program under R.T. Floyd, while also pursuing her graduate degree. “I knew there was no better way to learn than from the guy who wrote the book,” Leonardi says, referring to Manual of Structural Kinesiology, authored by Floyd, who is also the director of UWA’s Athletic Training & Sports Medicine Center.
The transition from military bases in Washington and Texas to small-town Alabama was a significant change, but it was one Leonardi found enjoyable. One of her favorite aspects of the program was the hands-on experience. “As a grad assistant under R.T., I wasn’t just assigned to a specific sport; we also got to travel to high schools all over the area.”
While completing her master’s degree, Leonardi also earned a teaching certificate. After having three sons in three consecutive years, she left her corporate job to homeschool them. Spending every day at home during the pandemic, Leonardi told her husband she needed an outlet and wanted to start running again.
It was a stark contrast to her college days. While playing tennis as an undergrad, Leonardi and her teammates often found creative ways to cut corners during mile runs. But everything changed when she joined the Army.
“Running became something I loved —especially when it was competitive,” she notes. “I just wanted to beat the guys.”
When Leonardi returned to running after having her sons, she had one goal: completing a half marathon. “I ran one before I had the boys and wanted to prove to myself I could do it again.”
She trained for the race, but when the pandemic canceled it, she didn’t give up. Instead, she found another race and, to her surprise, finished with a time even better than before having children. “That’s when I decided to keep running.”
Then, the Mercedez Marathon in Birmingham, Alabama, sent her an unexpected email asking if she still wanted to run the marathon since they had rescheduled it. “I told them it must have been a mistake; I didn’t register for a full marathon,” she recalls. “But when they asked if I wanted to change my entry, I thought, ‘Oh well, I’ll give it a try.’”
In 2022, she completed the full marathon, just 36 seconds shy of qualifying for the Boston Marathon. So close to her goal, Leonardi knew she had to try again.
The following month, she traveled to Athens, Ohio, determined not to leave without a qualifying time. Not only did she qualify for Boston, but she also earned a spot in the Chicago Marathon.
She ran both races in 2023, Boston in April and Chicago in October. Feeling content but also restless, Leonardi wondered if it was time for a break—or a new challenge.
That challenge came in the form of trail running. “A friend asked me, ‘Have you ever thought about an ultra?’” she recalls. She hadn’t. But she signed up for the Chief Ladiga Zombie Trail Race, a 50-mile race in Anniston, Alabama, in April 2024.
Placing second, Leonardi told her friend and running partner, “That was easier than I thought. We should try a 100-miler.’”
While training for the 100-mile race, Leonardi posted a playful video on Instagram featuring her kids eating Feastables, the snack brand created by YouTube megastar MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson). Little did she know this lighthearted post would lead to an unexpected opportunity.
“My boys think he’s cool and love watching him,” Leonardi shares. That video became her accidental entry into Beast Games, a new Amazon Prime competition series created by Donaldson.
Soon after, she got a call confirming she’d passed the initial screening. “At first, I thought it was a joke,” she laughs. But after the first interview and some health screenings, Leonardi was on a plane to Las Vegas to compete against 2,000 others for a spot on the show.
Contestants spent a week at Allegiant Stadium, participating in competitions that would determine who moved on to the main event. After a short break at home, Leonardi joined the finalists in Canada for six weeks of filming.
“The whole thing was unreal,” she reflects. “I never thought at age 36 that I would be competing in a reality TV show. There was a lot of ‘hurry up and wait’ during the filming, but it was an unbelievable experience!”
Leonardi’s running journey also landed her a job at Wallace State Community College. “I ran cross country for the college the year before, taking classes online. Since I had never run previously, I had eligibility. I ended up making the all-conference team. Now I’m working there as the assistant cross country coach. It is surreal how it all came full circle. I truly believe this job was meant for me.”
Though you’ll never find her husband running, Leonardi says he is her biggest supporter.
“He’s at every race, texting me during the events to see if I need anything, and he’s the first one at the finish line. He even came with me to preview the trail before I did the 100, though he rode an electric bike. Still, he was right there with me the whole time,” Leonardi chuckles.
Her youngest son, who is seven, seems to have inherited the running gene. He ran his first race, a 1-mile run, when he was five. “After that he decided he wanted to tackle a 5K, and now he’s completed four of them. He even has his own track shoes and joins me at several track meets with Wallace. The team has really embraced him as a tiny honorary member,” Leonardi adds.
There’s one race Leonardi is determined to run: the New York Marathon. Although she’s qualified, Leonardi points out that only a small percentage of qualified runners actually get in. “I’ll keep trying, though. I thrive on competition. I can’t enter a race just for fun. If I’m going to race —I’ll run it to try and win it.”