CARY - The story of Alisa Wright Colopy's rise to local stardom began years ago and hundreds of miles away, where the rubber met the road.

As a spritely student at Southern Methodist University in 1975, Colopy arrived at her alma mater as a bundle of energy. She had long been an active child, a trait that wasn't lost as she developed into a young woman with a thirst for knowledge and a passion for fitness.

Pursuing undergraduate degrees in sociology and psychology, and longing to maintain her figure, it wasn't long before Colopy began searching for an outlet to burn off steam. And then one day, she took a bold step.

"I put on my shoes and decided to go jogging," says Colopy, 52. "To my surprise, within a few weeks I was jogging three, four, five miles a day. It just became something that I loved."

Years later, Colopy would channel her energy into a local nonprofit aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles.

And last week, Colopy's efforts in that arena earned her the title of Cary's most-spirited citizen.

"Alisa has been a tireless volunteer with tremendous credibility, vision and organizational skill," her husband Mike and friend James Lefeiste wrote in nominating Colopy for the town's inaugural Hometown Spirit Award. "...[She] lives her own words."

Through her organization, Fit & Able Productions, which she founded in 1997, Colopy plans a number of running and triathlon events and provides health and fitness education to families across the Triangle. More than 4,000 people have gone through her coaching programs.

She is a local organizer of such fundraisers as the U.S. Marine Corps' toy drive. And she has served on local boards including Cary's festival committee.

Clifton Barnes, a Cary resident who proposed the idea for the Hometown Spirit Award to the town, said Colopy embodies the small-town community values he hoped to spotlight.

"We do a good job of celebrating and honoring other cultures," Barnes said. "I appreciate the council's wisdom and patriotism in honoring our own American, small-town and Cary culture.

"Our winner shows there is still such a thing as American exceptionalism," he added, "and that there can be Mayberry values in a big and growing town like Cary."

Colopy's journey of self-discovery began at Southern Methodist. She had arrived at college just a few short years after the passage of Title IX, an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that largely prohibited gender discrimination in educational programs and activities.

"Back then, it was pretty much field hockey and cheerleading," she said of athletics opportunities available to women in the 1970s. "And gymnastics was starting a little bit. But overall, it was nowhere near what the boys had available to them with basketball, football and other sports."

The road to equality was a long one even after the government outlawed gender bias, Colopy said. It weighed heavily on her mind even as she began to develop her talents as a runner and later a triathlete.

"I realized I had great ability and passion," Colopy said. "But it took a while for me to perceive myself as an athlete. As a teen, I had never really seen that sports were an option for me."

Still, she became an accomplished athlete. Colopy has trained for and participated in more than 100 road races and several triathlons in the past 27 years. She knows that achieving one's goals requires sacrifice.

"It takes perseverance and willingness to work hard," she said. "When I was in training modes, I would get up at 3 a.m., run 12 to 15 miles and then come back and hop on a bike and ride."

Colopy's efforts have earned her praise from friends and relatives, students and parents."She's had a major impact on my life," said Catherine Doyle, a track and field athlete at St. Mary's School in Raleigh. "I was new to running my junior year, and she helped me fall in love with a new sport.

"She impacted the way I view sports in general."

As someone who says she prefers to avoid the limelight, Colopy said she's humbled by the praise and the recent award.

"When you get into a position where don't get a salary out of what you're doing, the rewards are intrinsic," she said. "The reward is knowing that you've made a difference, seeing the difference you've made."