Cleusa Uenaka: Finding New Purpose in Running at 70
Discover the story of the runner who overcame severe health issues and now inspires over a million people online.
At age 70, Cleusa Uenaka laced up her running shoes for the first time after overcoming serious health challenges. Today, at 76, she has logged over a thousand consecutive days of running and built a massive online community.
Discovering a new purpose in sports has no expiration date. On the premiere episode of Se Liga Nelas on the Stemma Sports channel, guest Cleusa Uenaka shared the behind-the-scenes story of a journey uniting physical triumph, personal reinvention, and a daily running routine started at 70 years old. Today, at 76, she has over 1.2 million followers and proves that daily consistency is the most powerful engine for any transformation.
The turning point in health and returning to school
Before making running part of her routine, Cleusa faced a critical health crisis around the age of 60. Hospitalized at Hospital das Clínicas de São Paulo with a severe drop in platelets (thrombocytopenia) and deep depression that was undiagnosed at the time, she was told by a doctor that she needed to shift her mental focus and reclaim what brought her joy. The advice served as a watershed moment: she decided to return to school, enrolled in a nighttime adult education program at a public school, and began welcoming and reintegrating dozens of young people from the school community who had been left behind.
Following this recovery period, Cleusa and her husband completely revamped their daily habits. They moved to the coast of São Paulo, adjusted their diet, cut out fried foods and soda, and adopted daily walking as their foundational routine, keeping up constant movement even during the most challenging times.
From the first kilometer to a daily commitment
The transition from walking to running happened in 2021 in São José dos Campos. While watching a live stream by mentor Paulo Machado—who had been running 5 km every day for hundreds of days—Cleusa decided to accept a public challenge issued during the broadcast. Even after being called "grandma" by other participants on the stream, she put on her running shoes at 7:00 AM on a Sunday and went outside to put the quick-decision method into practice.
Right on the first block, she tripped on an uneven sidewalk and fell flat on her face, scraping her hands and knees. Instead of giving up, she dusted herself off, remembered the commitment she made, and finished her first kilometer around the block. From that day on, the goal became non-negotiable: run every day, gradually increasing the distance from one to five kilometers.
From shyness to viral online success
With nearly 500 consecutive days of training under her belt, Cleusa was encouraged to overcome her fear of public speaking and began recording short videos for social media. In the beginning, she shared simple reflections while sitting on park benches or read quotes noted down in her study notebooks. The major breakthrough came at the milestone of 1,094 consecutive running days, when she posted an unscripted video filmed mid-run with the reflection: "How long has your life been held back by decisions you haven't made?"
The post went viral quickly and transformed the family's routine. Her youngest son, Glen, who already had extensive experience in marketing and technology, built a professional operation to manage partnerships, travel, and content production, also involving grandchildren and his wife behind the scenes.
The power of example and the strength of consistency
Today, competing in numerous races across Brazil—such as the Rio Marathon, Bonito, and Campo Grande—Cleusa attracts runners of all ages seeking motivation from her discipline. That direct impact also reached her own household: her granddaughter, inspired by her grandmother's routine, began participating in children's races.
For Cleusa, the biggest mistake people make when starting physical activity is waiting for the perfect conditions. The runner's central message is straightforward: do not wait for the best shoes, the perfect outfit, or the ideal Monday to take the first step. Victory, according to her, is built exclusively through the daily repetition of what is possible to do today.