About Me

I’m not a hardcore, professional triathlete nor do I strive to place in races. I’m just the average girl next door who grew up on a farm loving the outdoors and sports. This, I believe created a natural inner competiveness. I feel that God gave me a second chance in life and have always been a fighter since my victory over the battle of meningitis at 13 months old. Yeah, I grew up with severe hearing loss as a result of that brush with death, but no big deal! I still managed to make it through life academically, athletically, socially, and spiritually. Strong-willed and determined are adjectives that describe me, probably because I grew up facing obstacles daily. Therefore, I thrive for challenges. I set goals that require endurance and perseverance as I keep my eye on the prize and press toward the finish line.

So, how did I get into running, triathlons and other adventures? Some ask if I’m going to climb a mountain next. I laugh and say, “It’s actually on my list!” I’m a very indecisive person and struggled with narrowing my 6 sports to 3 in high school and then to 1 in college. I was a sprinter and forward soccer player in college. I conditioned myself to endure 1-mile warm-ups or 15-minute runs, but not without complaint. After college was over, guess what…I started to run….long! I thought, why not? If Forest Gump can do it, so can I.  I grew up watching my daddy race and trained with him a few times by foot or by bike and I admit, I did struggle to keep up!

In 2003, it all started 1 mile at a time (the baby steps) and slowly I worked my way up to half-marathons. After many short races and a half-marathon, a friend talked me into our first sprint triathlon in 2004. I didn’t know much about the sport. In fact, we trained and raced on our mountain bikes. It didn’t take long before I was hooked. For me a triathlon provided a variety of physical challenges.  After all, I have an inner motivation to keep my self in top physical shape and work hard toward a goal. There are times however this motivation has lessened. This has usually occurred after running in the grueling heat. After every half-marathon I’ve ran, I tell myself “I will never run a marathon.” During training for my first half-ironman this past summer of 2012, I said, “I have no desire to complete an Ironman!” Why is this so ironic and funny? Well, an Ironman is on my calendar for 2013. That means I will run a marathon within the Ironman…crap!

Guess it doesn’t surprise me or my husband, family, and friends. There’s just something about the outcomes of working hard and accomplishing goals especially when you have a purpose or cause in the rationale. After all, anything is possible, through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13).