Kim Reynolds: Running to Success

By Brian Van Norman
March 2010

Patience comes to those who wait. For Kim Reynolds, patience has been one attribute that continues to drive her life. But don’t misunderstand; she’s not waiting for it. At 52, Kim Reynolds has an insatiable curiosity, a fearlessness to try and try again, and determination to have everything she wants in life — both personal and professional.

In the past decade, all the pieces have come together for the Triangle native, and she is enjoying every step of the journey. Reynolds, owner of Second Empire Restaurant and Tavern, credits her longtime passion of running for bringing everything else together. And today, she shares that passion with thousands of others as the founder of a local running series and her restaurant’s namesake the Second Empire 5K Classic.

So in 2000 when a friend suggested that she meet Rod Garnas, another avid runner, she agreed. Rod and Kim started running together, and six months later they were married.

Sharing Life through Adoption
While neither Reynolds nor Garnas thought they would ever be parents, somehow together it made all the difference. After two unsuccessful attempts to conceive, the couple began discussing adoption. Reynolds ran into a friend in 2003 at the Raleigh Christmas Parade who mentioned that he and his wife had adopted their daughter. He gave Reynolds the name of the local agency they used, A Child’s Hope. They contacted Parker Herring, the organization’s founder, for an initial meeting.

"When we first met the folks at A Child’s Hope, we knew we were in the right place and that we would soon be parents," explains Reynolds. Eighteen months later, the couple was blessed with their son.

A Passion for an Active Lifestyle — and Business
Throughout her life, Reynolds has made it a priority to stay fit and active. As a child, she rode horses and played tennis throughout high school and college. She credits her dad for introducing her to the running world in the early 1980s.

"He was out three running every morning before daylight when running wasn’t even popular yet," she adds. "I saw what it did for him and thought I should give it a try." Now nearly 30 years later, she’s still running — to help local charities, to manage and grow a successful restaurant and, most of all, to help others.

It was in the early 1990s when Reynolds noticed an opportunity when the historic Dodd-Hinsdale House in downtown Raleigh was put up for sale.

"Interestingly enough, my dad’s law offices were right across the street. I mentioned to him that we should look into buying the property," recalls Reynolds. After extensive due diligence, they purchased the property in 1995, spent two and a half years renovating it and opened the restaurant in 1997. Reynolds has since utilized the popularity of the restaurant to benefit charities in the Triangle community.

"When we opened Second Empire, I knew I wanted to start a charity run," she says. "Thank goodness Rod came into my life about that time; we did that first year run together."

In 2000, they started the Second Empire 5K Classic. For the first several years, the race benefited the local chapter of the Arthritis Foundation — Reynolds’ mom had rheumatoid arthritis and this was a way to help. When the chapter closed, the beneficiary became Camp Woodbine for hearing impaired children, owned and operated by John and Christa McElveen.

"A little over a year ago, I wanted to share with others about the wonderful opportunities available for adopting children in need of loving homes," she says. "My goal is bring more awareness to uniting birth families and perspective adoptive families."

On May 2, 2010, the 10th Annual Second Empire 5K Classic will benefit a local nonprofit called Hopeful Parents (nchopefulparents.org).

After the third year of the Second Empire 5K Classic, Reynolds was looking for a way to grow the race. She asked Cid Cardoso, owner of Inside-Out Sports, for his ideas. He suggested a running series, a concept common in the triathlon community; however, no one had attempted it locally. So, in 2004, Reynolds started the Second Empire Grand-Prix series. What started out in its first year with four individual races has now grown to 16, each benefiting a Triangle area nonprofit organization.

For Kim Reynolds at 52, talking about family, entrepreneurship, professional success — and, of course, running is just part of everyday life and living.

Brian Van Norman is a PR professional with Articulon and a freelance writer. He can be reached at brian@articulon.com

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