Like many 28-year-olds, Chelsea (Howard) Behnke has a fulltime job, a mortgage, a husband of four years and two young children.

Then her resume veers in a different direction to cross-country runner, making her Southwestern Michigan College’s ultimate non-traditional athlete.

“I call myself the geriatric runner,” she said.

Behnke carries a full class load of biology, algebra and English prerequisites for entering nursing school next fall to become a registered nurse (RN) after a decade in the medical field.

“She's an inspiration to all young people out there who've made the choice to return to college to continue their education. I'm so proud that we get to guide her on this journey,” Head Coach Zac Sartori said in August when Behnke signed her NJCAA Letter of Intent to run for the Roadrunners.

“This is one of the many great things about a community college – athletes from all walks of life have the chance to compete at a high level and improve. I'm really looking forward to how she develops as a runner."

Behnke worked in the medical field as a CNA (certified nursing assistant) at The Timbers of Cass County and, currently, West Woods of Niles on third shift.

“I also worked as a medical assistant, drawing blood, which I really loved,” she said.

Even in high school at Dowagiac Union High School, from which she graduated in 2015, Behnke was a cheerleader and dancer, not a runner. She only took up running to get toned after losing weight.

“I was an SMC summer student who turned 28 Aug. 28. I’m about 10 years older than our youngest runner,” she said, fresh from a two-mile run and some cycling before 9 a.m.

“I’m kind of the team mom. I like to look out for them as much as I can without being pushy. My teammate, Taylor (Meier, from Paw Paw) is in the nursing program and doing well with balancing it with running. Coach Zac is really awesome with knowing our schedules are busier and having plans for all of us individually.”

Behnke counts on strong family support to juggle her roles and deliver the children, 2 and 6, where they need to be.

“I told myself I don’t want to deprive them of anything because I chose to have a busy schedule, so Saturday afternoons we try to go to the park, the beach, the zoo, the children’s museum. I take a lot of power naps,” she laughed.

“My son is in school and has football practice Tuesdays and Thursdays, with games on Saturday. My daughter is in dance on Saturdays. Meets usually fall on Fridays. It’s hard, but I’m lucky, not much overlaps. My husband, Sonny, works for CHT, the German chemical factory in Cassopolis.”

Chelsea said Sonny laughed when she broached going out for collegiate cross country. Then he realized she was serious.

“My family was surprised,” Behnke said, “even though it’s not out of character for me to do random stuff. I was nervous my teammates would make me feel like I don’t belong, but nobody has ever made me feel like that. They’re super-duper supportive and accepting and make me feel like I fit in.”

Behnke, whose brother, Jordan Simpson, wrestled for No. 17-ranked SMC and graduated in 2024, said Sartori approached her one day while she was having lunch and struck up a conversation.

“I think he just saw someone who’s young with a runner’s physique. He thought I was young. I have a baby face,” she laughed. “He’s very sociable and a good conversationalist. I said I liked running, going to the gym, doing a half-mile and exercising — not cross-country running. Between us, my husband and I have lost about 200 pounds. He was in his 300s and I was in my 200s. Now it’s 200s and 100s.”

“I really like being on the team, but when he approached me, I looked at it at first as mostly an outlet to keep my weight off,” she said. “If I hadn’t lost weight, I would never have been able to do this, which is new for me. I’ve gained weight, but I feel like it’s muscle.

“I was skinny from dieting, but I wasn’t fit, and I wanted to be fit. I welcomed the accountability physically and educationally because (Sartori) watches our grades. I hope to stick with it even when I’m done because it’s life-changing.”

She “started small” in July. “He gave me pointers because my three-mile runs were 50-percent walking. My first race my goal was a 35-minute 5K without stopping, then 30.

She finished 104^th Sept. 20 with a personal-best 29.04.3 at Lansing Cross Country Invitational women’s 5K at Grand Woods Park.

 “I’m in the best physical shape of my entire life,” she said before turning in a 35:20.0 Sept. 28 for 112^th at the Calvin Knight Invite 6K in Grand Rapids.

“I have surprised myself, but Coach pushes me. Nobody expected much from me. When I hit my own goals, I’m proud of myself. I don’t get defeated, I just want to get better. My goal by the end of the season is 26. My secret goal is I never want to finish last — and I haven’t.”

During the 2023 season, SMC’s women finished 12th and the men 17th at the NJCAA Division II National Championships in Birmingham, Ala.