Today we’d like to introduce you to Áine O’Regan.
Hi Áine, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Hi! My name is Áine (pronounced awe-nya). I am an LA native, born and raised here in Studio City. I am a movement specialist, 200hr ERYT, personal trainer, run coach, and founder of R.A.M.P. (Run Away for My Problems, a Studio City-based run club). Like many people, the journey to where I am today is a complex rollercoaster- filled with ups, downs, twists and turns.
After I graduated high school in 2011, I went to SMC- primarily because that is, “what you are supposed to do”. However, school has always been a struggle for me. I was diagnosed with learning disabilities( dyslexia and ADD) at 17, and had very little guidance in navigating that diagnosis as it related to my education.
As a result, I struggled to pass my classes and quickly became disheartened.
This struggle lead me to my first steps into the health and fitness world, and I began my first yoga teacher training in 2013. From that moment on, I never looked back. In the years that followed, I took at least one training a year, in a variety of movement modalities. I now have well over a thousand hours of training. It was my beloved mommy, Louise, who encouraged me, believed in me, and saw that I moved through the world a little differently. She was the one who recognized that my mind, body, and heart needed to be intimately involved in everything that I do.
Movement has always been a part of my life. I grew up playing soccer and running track, and over the years, with the gift of time, I have been able to look back and see how that focus has been a major catalyst in my story, culminating in the wide variety of movement certifications I am grateful to have earned today.
Whether it’s different styles of yoga, weight lifting, or running, movement has been the foundation that keeps me grounded during traumatic events and difficult moments. Whether dealing with addiction in my immediate family, or the specters of cancer, death, and grief- I have learned so much from movement, and continue to learn from it, every day.
On November 15th, 2015, I lost my mom to lung cancer. Shortly after her passing, I sat on the porch of my childhood home not wanting to be in my body, let alone on this planet. I wanted to run away. So, I grabbed my runners from the closet and ran.
My lungs were on fire, my legs were heavy, and my mind was starting to slow down. Something major was happening to me, and to my life. I just didn’t know what yet.
Coincidentally, in the first year following her death, my mom’s birthday fell on Mother’s Day. My my dad, James, and I signed up for a local race, on a whim. He ran the 10k, and I did the 15k. No training- just pure emotion and adrenaline. To my surprise, I won that race. From that point on- I jokingly call it my Forest Gump moment- I just kept running.
Over the years, I continued to push myself further, and stretch the boundaries of my perceived limits. In 2020, I signed up and finished my first marathon. Upon finishing the LA Marathon for that first time, I literally ran into my dad’s arms and broke down. I had done it. I’d run the farthest I had ever run, pushed myself to places I did not know I was capable of reaching.
Honoring the special encouragement my mom and dad would whisper to me before my childhood soccer games, I “ran like the wind”. I endured. It was in that moment that I realized what running had given me. It allowed me to put my emotions in motion. It was teaching me that I can endure, that I can do whatever I set my mind to.
After COVID hit, I began to explore run clubs. Running had always been a solo adventure, but under the isolation of lockdown, I craved community. I visited clubs in Malibu, Venice, and Koreatown, but it was hard to keep up with those clubs and communities, because of how far they were from my home.
In the summer of 2021- after encouragement from my brother Emmett and my now husband Trevor- I said, “f**k it, let me start a run club. One in my own backyard.” That July, R.A.M.P. (Running Away for My Problems) was born.
In creating this club, I reflected on what running had done for me and my life, thus far. In the beginning, I really used to run away from my problems- my grief, my depression, and my anxiety. But running taught me that- in reality- the only way out, is through. It taught me to turn around and face my demons, “my problems,” so to speak. I wanted to create a community-based run club here in the heart of Studio City, with a focus on and advocacy for mental health.
I had no idea what R.A.M.P. would become- to the community and to me. The community we have built together over the last four years is truly special and beautiful. Real connections, real friendships, and real people coming together to run. But really, walking away with much more. It has become a community of individuals challenging themselves- running further, getting faster, being brave, trying new things, and providing endless support during the runs (and in their personal lives). Honest and raw vulnerability.
I have said that running has saved my life many times- but, recently- running and R.A.M.P. have once again been instrumental in allowing me to keep my head above water.
On November 3rd, 2024, I lost my beautiful Daddios to pancreatic cancer. The following day, I texted a handful of my R.A.M.P. runners, letting them know what happened, and asking for help. Within seconds, this community showed up for me. There was and continues to be an outpouring of love and support that allowed me to take the time and space that I needed to grieve and reflect. They stepped up and led the group, while I lay on the floor in utter despair.
When I returned to R.A.M.P., I was greeted with huge hugs and warm embraces. They ran beside me as I cried in the middle of runs, or made me laugh and smile to lift my spirits. Four years into leading this club, and I am in awe of what it has become. Each person that shows up has a story all their own, a reason why they run, and it’s truly magnificent to watch them all in action.
My Daddios’s passing has not only been a new experience of grief, but one that reopens old wounds from the loss of my mom. It truly feels immense and all-consuming. I have a hard time even articulating, or putting into words all of the tumult that is happening internally and externally.
With my life currently feeling like a great unknown, what do I do? Naturally, with all that running has taught me, I am embracing that unknown, and have signed myself up for my first ultramarathon- a 50k race.
Why? Running has taught me to take things one step at a time, one breath at a time. Running has taught me to be brave, and face the pain- chase it even. Running has reminds me that I can endure, I can fly like the wind, that I can connect to myself and connect to my mom and dad through that movement. Every step I take, I know they’re running beside me. Every step I take, i am reminded that I will be okay.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Life is never a smooth road—neither on a personal level nor career-wise. I have been through a lot in my 31 years. It has been a whole spectrum of challenges, my learning disabilities, watching family members and loved ones deal with addiction, cancer, disease, death, job loss, loss of self, etc. I am learning that life is duality; it is coexisting with light and dark. It’s never one or the other; it’s both simultaneously. The obstacles and challenges are a part of life; it’s inevitable, but what you do with them and after them is what matters. It might sound cheesy, but I think the simplest and most beautiful metaphor for being a human being is allowing yourself to be the phoenix, to burn and be reborn from the ashes time and time again. Being gritty enough to allow yourself to evolve from the ashes.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
R.A.M.P. – Run Away for My Problems – is a run club based in Studio City, dedicated to mental health advocacy. Founded in July 2021, R.A.M.P. was established in response to the challenges of grief, depression, anxiety, and the pressures of everyday life. Sometimes, taking a moment away to run can lead to personal discovery and healing. We provide a supportive space where individuals can find solace, connect with others, and rediscover their strength—one step at a time. By encouraging movement and fostering connection, we aim to help individuals escape the weight of life’s struggles.
What sets R.A.M.P. apart from others is the community. In addition, it is how welcoming, non-intimidating, and friendly we are. The friendships that are created at R.A.M.P. are honest and loving. We support each other in the sport of running, but also in life. What I am most proud of with this club, is that it started with just me, an idea, and a deep, profound love of running. We are a real grassroots kind of club, and we have grown from just me posting flyers around my neighborhood and word of mouth, to now having over 100 members, with Wednesday night runs often having over 40 people attending!
We meet every Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m. and Saturday mornings at 8 a.m. at Woodbridge Park, 11240 Moorpark St., Studio City, 91602.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
I believe it is my ability to empathize with people that has brought me to where I am in life. And just allowing my self to being myself, because it also invites people to be fully themselves as well. We have one life, so might as well be you in all ways, and enjoy the ride.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @runwithramp for my run club and personal is @aine_rua
- Other: TikTok – @run_with_ramp & @aine.rua
Image Credits
photos by In.Drip. and Raymond Eugenio
