The Scoop
Not too exciting, but here’s the Readers’ Digest version:
I grew up in Akron, OH, the middle of three girls. I have always been a competitive athlete… tennis, basketball, and track consumed me in high school. I planned to play tennis and run track at a small school in Cleveland, but my plans were derailed when I blew out my ACL playing basketball my senior year. 
I sat on the sidelines during every track meet that year, icing my knee and crying while I tried to contribute by holding a stop watch. My world turned upside down and I felt lost.
Realizing things weren’t going as planned, I started to daydream about what else was out there. I saw a movie called Boys on the Side and was enchanted with the scenery from the Southwest. Then the WANDERLUST set in . . .
I packed my bags and announced I was headin’ out West. Arizona State University, to be specific. Moving across the country was the best thing I could’ve done; I experienced so many new things, like hiking and camping in the beautiful Southwest, cliff jumping, Army ROTC (believe it or not), weekend road trips to camp on the beach in Mexico, and more. By my sophomore year I realized I missed competing, and somehow found the 
cojones to walk onto ASU’s Cross Country team that fall. I was a 400/800m runner back in OH. I had never even run a 5k before, but I made the traveling team and had fun with the experience of competing at the Div.I level.
I spent the Spring semester of my 2nd year aboard the S.S. Universe Explorer, the floating campus ship of Semester at Sea. 
Wow! I was blown away. 100 days of living, studying, exploring through Venezuela, Brazil, South Africa, Kenya, India, Vietnam, Philippines, Hong Kong, and Japan. This trip changed my life in so many ways. I realized what was important to me, how small we are in this VERY big world, and how important it was to me to become fluent in another language. I immediately made a commitment to myself to achieving that goal upon returning to ASU.
Back on campus, I considered my role on the X-country team. It was fun, challenging, and kept me on track. BUT it was like a job . . .just the unpaid variety, and I needed the PAID type at that point to continue funding the Wanderlust. While on the ship, I met Woody Freese, who was the Assistant Dean of Students (and also an Ironman Triathlete). We became great friends, and he sparked my interest in the sport. I joined ASU’s club Tri Team, and got my feet wet with a couple short races my last 2 yrs on campus. I couldn’t swim to save my life, but I picked up biking, and running was always fun for me.
Senior year found me in Mexico, working towards the fluency goal. That happened quickly and I also spent plenty of time traveling and exploring the beautiful, vast, and incredibly diverse country, as well as Guatemala and Belize. My time in Central America was good to me, and I had an extra 10lbs to show for all my fun! Upon graduating (Summa Cum Laude, baby!), Peace Corps just seemed to be the next logical step. 
I was sent to the beautiful country of Ecuador for over two years. I worked with women’s groups in the coastal town of Bahia de Caraquez for my first year. We formed community banks (small savings and credit programs), and I also helped them develop income-generating projects. Specifically, we made, marketed, and sold incredibly beautiful handmade recycled paper stationary. Then for my second year, I was sent to Isla San Cristobal, GALAPAGOS. Tough gig, I know.
I worked in similar projects but with the wives of the fishermen, to try to help alleviate some of the tensions between the fishing community and the conservation community. Very interesting and challenging role. And no, I never learned to dive. I was a wimp back then and still am now (scared of sharks)!
Obviously running, biking, and racing took a backseat during those years. I ran, but for different reasons. Stress reduction, mainly. Instead of staring at a heart rate monitor, I ran and watched the ocean, jumped over lava rocks, marveled at the big sea lions as I ran through their colony, and breathed smog-free air. 
I loved my rusty bike, which was perfect for getting around my island. It was a different time, and I valued it just as much as I do this one.
The University of Georgia’s MBA program landed me in the South, and I picked up racing again. I wanted to get back into triathlons, but wasn’t sure how. Then I moved to Atlanta and met some local Ironman athletes. I got roped in like many do . . . I’m lucky I survived relatively unscathed! Uncoached and without a clue, I competed in two Ironmans my first year. Then, perhaps by divine intervention, I crossed paths with my current coach, Matt Russ, Head Coach and Owner of The Sport Factory. I’ve been coached by Matt since 2006 and he has given me the guidance and direction to make me realize that there are truly no limitations to what we can achieve. My racing year in 2007 really took off, and I kept surprising myself. I won both the short and long course national duathlon championship, as well as the long course duathlon world championship. I decided to race Pro 2008 and figure I might as well raise the bar and see what I can do. All this has always just been for fun anyway, so I cannot be disappointed regardless of the result. I feel lucky to have a strong and healthy body to participate, and look forward to many more personal challenges to bring the best out of me and my competitors.
I am a USAT Certified Level I Triathlon Coach and a proud member of The Sport Factory’s coaching staff. Helping others develop in the sport is incredibly gratifying, and I am just as passionate about my athletes’ goals as I am my own.
In addition to racing and coaching, I work full time in medical sales covering most of the Southwest. I’m also the proud and lovestruck momma of a beautiful and feisty little Yorkie-Poo named Shaina!