Most Interesting People 2015: Liz Ferro

Why she's interesting: Ferro used swimming, biking and running to help her work past her issues with depression and abuse in her mid-20s. Her personal triumphs serve as inspiration for Girls With Sole, a nonprofit that helps girls cope with negative life experiences by participating in athletic programs such as weekly exercise courses in dancing, biking, swimming, yoga and martial arts. Since 2009, Girls With Sole has helped more than 800 girls and led Ferro to be named one of Self magazine's "Women Doing Good" in November.

Fighting the battle: Ferro completed her first Ironman triathlon at age 24. "The thing that helps you change is to pour it into something healthy. Whether people try to take away your dignity or your childhood, if you finish an accomplishment that's physical, no one can take it from you."

Paying it forward: Girls from 9 to 18 meet weekly to participate in classes. Many have been abused or neglected and receive donated athletic apparel such as sports bras and running shoes. But it's the variety of activities that help Girls With Sole stand out. "It may not be running for you. It might be yoga for you, so we like to give [the girls] exposure to everything possible so we can find what works for them."

Book rEAL: Ferro looked to 40 publishing houses before she found two that offered to publish Finish Line Feeling, the story of her experience with abuse and her road to coping through physical fitness. "I'm really proud of it because people told me not to bother and no one would publish it." But her book, which was picked up by Unlimited Publishing in Indiana in 2012, is now sold nationally on Amazon.

Run for the money:Ferro is continuing her goal of running 50 marathons in 50 states. She already has 25 under her shoes, some of which were only days apart. One of her most interesting races was in Columbus, Indiana, where a train came unexpectedly barreling through the middle of the course. "It slowed down and almost came to a stop, but it was still rolling. And some of the runners were so hell-bent and pissed off that the thing was in the middle of the race course that they started climbing through cars while it was moving. I just stood there and laughed."

Room rehab: Ferro will be featured on an episode of HGTV's Fix It and Finish It later this month, where viewers will see her children's loft get a makeover. "They literally came over at 7 in the morning, and they worked all day ripping out carpet, repainting the entire room, getting everything brand-new, including furniture. By 8 o'clock that night, they did the reveal so we could see it."