After my final
amateur and breakthrough season in 2006, I transitioned into full-time
status as a professional athlete in San Francisco, CA. In 2009
after a knee surgery in 2008 I gave up my pro status in order to
rebuild and come back an even stronger athlete than I left.
History
I grew up in Portland,
Oregon, the running capital of the nation and ran through high school
with coach Tom Rothenberger. In 1996 he led our women’s team to our
first ever cross-country state title for Jesuit High School. I
continued my running at the Air Force Academy racing Division I
cross-country and track. Four years of a military institution has it’s
positives and negatives, but running for Mark Stanforth and the
Falcons was definitely the highlight of my four years. My first
assignment after graduation was at Edwards AFB, California (the Mojave
desert), an Air Force test base. There wasn’t much to do out there so
I continued my running and became an assistant, coaching at Desert
High School with Brett Dobson. I had a breakthrough running year in
2004, two years after I graduated from Air Force. From there I started
swimming and riding bikes. After winning my age group and placing 3rd
overall at the LA Triathlon in 2004, I figured I’d give triathlon a
shot.
I continued
racing cross-country, track and triathlon on the Air Force teams and
qualifying for the US Armed Forces teams. Racing in the Air Force
provided me all my traveling opportunities and a chance to meet lots
of new people in our Armed Forces as well as plenty of characters from
different countries also serving their nations. Germany, France,
London, Sweden, Houston Texas….(oh that’s not another country?).
Janda Rici-Munn broke me
into the sport of triathlon and coached me through my first USAT
Nationals race. In 2004 I was re-stationed to Los Angeles AFB where I
swam with Diane Gallas, Bonnie Adair and rode plenty of Palos Verdes
loops. In 2005 I began working with Matt Dixon, and racing for Team
QDot. I separated from the Air Force at the end of 2006 and made a
huge decision moving to San Francisco to train full time and work with
a new Performance Training Center, Endurance PTC. With the help of my
coach, team manager and a lot of great friends and mentors, I learned
more in that 1 year then I have my entire athletic career. Finishing
my 2007 rookie season I moved back to my root in the Northwest for a
second year as a pro triathlete in 2008. After an unforseen but
overdue knee surgery this February I have changed my focus to
strength, biomechanics and rebuilding in a hopes to come back a
stronger athlete than I left. I am currently living in
Portland, Oregon and working as the head triathlon coach at Upper
Echelon Fitness in North Portland. (www.upperechelonfitness.com)
Hometown:
Portland, Oregon
Family: Parents, Bro, Sisters –
all in Portland. Aunts & Uncle - in
Seattle.
Biggest Weakness: Irish
Whiskey
Non-Triathlon Hobby: Skiing, Mountains
& Bonnairs
Best Memory: Standing with my team
on the stands taking first at the Oregon State Highschool State Cross
Country Meet at Lane Community College
Favorite
Pro: Suzy Hamilton since as long as I can
remember
