Love. Move. Rize. We are rooted in love. Our roots grow deep. We all have a purpose. When we love, move, & 'rize' together, hope & healing are possible.

Founded in 2018, The Great Root Movement is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization rooted in love and dedicated to creating a community where women are seen, heard, valued, and loved.

The Great Root Movement was founded by Karen A. Sparks, a bereaved mother, domestic‑abuse survivor, endurance athlete, race director, and advocate whose life was forever changed by tragedy. After the devastating loss of her children, Reagan and Grant, Karen decided that her pain would not end her story: it would become the beginning of a movement dedicated to hope, healing, and purpose.

Drawing strength from her faith, the running trails, and the power of community, Karen turned unimaginable grief into a mission to serve others. Through The Great Root Movement, she creates safe spaces where women can experience love, find connection, embrace movement as a pathway to healing, and discover the courage to rise again.

Today, Karen’s journey has inspired thousands. She shares her message through:

• Love Never Ends Trail Series
• Love. Move. Rize. Retreat

Her mission is simple yet profound: to ensure that everyone who encounters The Great Root Movement feels seen, heard, loved, and empowered to cross their own finish line.

We believe that every person experiences grief and trauma throughout life. While grief is often associated with the loss of a loved one, we also grieve dreams, relationships, identities, health, safety, and seasons of life that have changed forever. No matter the source of our pain, we believe healing happens when we come together and remind one another that we are not alone.

Through our Love. Move. Rize. Women's Retreats, we create sacred spaces where women can step away from the demands of everyday life to simply be—to breathe, rest, reconnect, and heal. Surrounded by nature, participants experience the restorative power of walking trails, movement as therapy, meaningful connection, reflection, and community support.

Our retreats are built upon three core principles:

• Love – Loving ourselves, receiving love from others, and extending compassion and grace to those around us.
• Move – Embracing movement as a form of healing through walking, running, hiking, boxing, yoga, and other activities that support physical, emotional, and spiritual wellness.
• Rize – Rising beyond survival and stepping into purpose, strength, hope, and the life that still lies ahead. 

We honor both ourselves and the life in front of us. Together, we rest. Together, we heal. Together, we Love. Move. Rize.

The Great Root Movement is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization sustained through generous donations and fundraising efforts from The Love Never Ends Trail Series. As our primary fundraising initiative, Love Never Ends Trail Series is more than a race series—it is a community movement that brings people together to honor love, resilience, healing, and hope while supporting our mission. We have four races each year - 

• The Love Never Ends Trail Race
• Backyard Ultras and fixed-timed races
• The Great Root Trail Race
• Always Running With R&G 5k

Every mile run and every dollar raised directly support our Love. Move. Rize. Retreats and RIZE Scholarships for women who have experienced child loss, domestic violence, and other life-altering traumas. Through these scholarships, we help remove financial barriers so that every woman has the opportunity to access healing, restoration, connection, and support.

Together, we are creating spaces where women can rest, heal, be seen, be heard, and be loved as they reconnect with themselves, find strength in community, and find purpose in the life that still lies ahead.

At The Great Root Movement, we believe healing is not meant to happen alone. We are a community rooted in love, grounded in hope, strengthened through movement, and committed to helping women LOVE.MOVE.RIZE. into the fullness of who they were created to be. 

"In 2015, my world was shattered when my soon-to-be ex-husband murdered my only two children, Reagan (9) and Grant (8), and killed himself. This horrific loss led me into a deep depression and overwhelming grief, and I even attempted suicide. My journey to recovery has been guided by my faith in God, therapy, running, and support groups. In 2018, with the help of family and friends, I founded TGRM as a community of hope and support that provides resources for women, bereaved mothers, and survivors of domestic abuse and trauma." -KAS