Running Into Grace: Taylor Tucker’s Second Chance at Greenville
Published: September 11, 2025
Author: Liz Dowell
Before she ever stepped onto a track, Taylor Tucker had already mastered the art of running.
“I ran for victory,” she says. “But I also ran from pain.”
Taylor grew up as the second of eight siblings in Texas. After her mother lost custody of the children, Taylor entered an adoptive home where love felt conditional—if it existed at all. She learned not to trust stability. Not to expect affection. And never to slow down.
By the time she arrived at Greenville University in 2018, she was already tired.
“I was exhausted, discouraged, and silently battling depression,” she recalls. When she confided in GU Track Coach Brian Patton, his words felt jarring: “It’s because you don’t know Jesus.”
That moment, however harsh it seemed, sparked something more profound—a journey toward healing that would unfold over the years.
A WINDING PATH TOWARD WHOLENESS
Taylor didn't immediately lean into faith. "I didn't go to chapel regularly. I didn't join small groups. I was present, but I wasn't surrendering," she admits.
As a result, she left Greenville after her first semester.
“I left because I didn’t feel worthy,” Taylor says. “Like someone with my past didn’t belong in a place like Greenville. That emotional and spiritual barrier was a huge part of my journey.”
But God, she says, wasn’t finished with her.
RETURN, REDEMPTION, AND RENEWAL
In the fall of 2021, Taylor returned to campus—not just to finish her degree, but because she felt spiritually called to come back.
“Most of my deeper mentor relationships—especially with Coach Lemar Bell, Coach George Barber, and others—happened after I returned in 2021,” Taylor explains. “It validated that I was meant to be there.”
A few more mentors who poured into Taylor after she returned are Mike Pepler, Bob Munshaw, and Doug Faulkner.
“When I sat down with Coach Patton, I told him, ‘I want to come back and run for your team—God’s team.’ I didn’t fully understand it, but he welcomed me without hesitation.”
What followed was a season of profound transformation. She reconnected with mentors like FCA leader Trey Stille, Coach Bell, and Coach Barber, whose faith and fatherly presence made her feel safe again.
The faculty remembered her. New friends welcomed her. And Greenville became something more than a university.
“It became sacred ground,” Taylor says.
She began to pray. She attended chapel services. And she asked hard questions. The result? She stopped running from God—and started walking with Him.
FAITH IN MOTION
Today, Taylor is building a ministry rooted in everything she’s lived through—merging fitness, faith, and mental health into one holistic vision.
Her proposal to First United Methodist Church led to the development of a wellness initiative that includes weekly walks, yoga sessions, healthy cooking nights, and fitness classes. But for Taylor, these gatherings aren’t about calories or cardio—they’re about connection.
“These aren’t just workouts. They’re worship,” she says. “Each movement is a moment to reflect, release, and reconnect with God.”
She quotes 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 as her foundation: Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit… honor God with your body.”
For Taylor, movement is ministry. And wholeness is holy.
WHAT’S NEXT
“I don’t run for approval anymore—I run because I’m free,” she says.
Although she still struggles with trust and occasionally slips back into old patterns, Taylor now knows that her identity is in Christ. Her past pain has become a platform for ministry.
“I want my story to tell others: You’re not too far gone. You’re not too broken. Because if grace could find me running, it can find anybody.”
Taylor Tucker’s journey didn’t just lead her back to Greenville—it led her into a deeper faith and gave her a new purpose.
But while she healed in her walk with God, Taylor still carried the weight of a childhood trauma she rarely voiced—until a courageous phone call changed everything. This recent call was a recent moment, and it was made possible by the healing work she did during her time in Greenville, which allowed her to have a heart-to-heart talk with her mother.
“I told my mom what she’d done to me when I was younger. How she’d once held my head under water and said, ‘I brought you into this world, and I can take you out.’ I had never said it out loud before.”
That call, she says, wasn’t to shame—it was to forgive. Her mother apologized. Taylor forgave her. And in that moment, something shifted.
“It didn’t erase the damage,” she reflects, “but it began the healing. Forgiveness freed me.”
Taylor hopes her story empowers others to walk with Christ, care for their bodies, and find healing in community. Her second chance didn't just restore her education; it also gave her a new perspective on life. And it clarified her calling.
