For one woman, Rock n Roll Marathon is more than just an event

PHOENIX (KSAZ) - The annual Rock and roll Arizona Marathon taking place on Sunday, and for one woman, the event is much more than a race.

"One day, I just thought I'm going to start running, because I could just go and be by myself and no one is shouting at me in the gym, and that's what I did," said Diane Potter.

Potter's journey hasn't been an easy one. She was at a dark place in her life just several years ago, going through a divorce and custody battle with her kids.

At the same time, Potter was also dealing with her weight. One day, however, she realized she had to make some changes in her life.

"I felt like my heart was about ready to explode from beating so hard," recounted Potter. "I thought, 'boy, this is not good.' So I just made a decision there. It was like the fire that lived within inside me that I knew that I had to do something, or else my kids will find me dead."

Just four years ago, Potter weighed nearly 300 pounds. She admits she was never the athletic type, but wanted give running a try. She began to set baby goals for herself.

"It was, like, I'm going to try to run a 5K, and then after that, I was, like, I think I'm going to run a 10k, and then it just kinda progressed naturally," said Potter.

Potter has ran well over a dozen marathons, and is running in the Rock n Roll Arizona Marathon. She will run the 5k on Saturday, and the half marathon on Sunday.

Potter said her kids are her motivation, for everything she does.

"I just want them to grow up being proud of me and seeing that when I'm trying to do something, I can complete it and I can achieve my dreams," said Potter.