Meet your 2012 BAs & Bloggers!

Jeff, Ronald, Shaun, Jenn, Taldi, Mike, Rob, Kristen, Darren & Michelle (we're missing a few of the crew!)

We are excited to announce the Washington Sports & Event Management (WSEM) Brand Ambassadors and revamped blog for 2012! Our Brand Ambassadors (BAs) are responsible and passionate triathletes, swimmers, cyclists and runners who participate in races, attend Team In Training meetings and trainings, attend ACHIEVE Youth Triathlon Summer Camp sessions, volunteer at events and expos, engage their community, share their knowledge of triathlon, and represent the WSEM lifestyle and culture. These athletes can answer your questions about and help you prepare for our races, fill you in on our sponsors, and hand out some SWAG! Follow us on our blog, on facebook and twitter and find out where they’ll be so you can say hi, win contests and get some cool SWAG!

Meet the gang!

Kristen Avioli
A former Division One collegiate swimmer and record holder, Kristen had always been intrigued by Triathlon. She was first introduced to the sport in 2008 as Triathlon Coordinator for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training Program. She completed her first triathlon in 2008 and fell in love with the sport immediately. Since then she has completed over 12 triathlons, some placing top ten in her Age Group, three marathons and too many half marathons and shorter running distances to count. Kristen is a USAT Level 1 Certified Coach, and Swim Instructor and loves sharing her knowledge about and enthusiasm for swimming.
 

Jocelyn Bonneau

Jocelyn started competing in triathlons in June 2009 and she has been addicted ever since.  She just completed in her first Half Ironman in August 2011, and she is now getting ready for the 2012 Triathlon season. Jocelyn is the author behind the blog, Enthusiastic Runner which follows her daily adventures with running, triathlon training, eating, traveling and attempting to balance work/life. She is excited to start blogging about her Nations Triathlon training!  You can also find her tweeting about Nations Tri at @enthusiasticrun

Mike DiMarco

A former Division One collegiate fencer, Mike started doing triathlons as a way to fill the void left by the end of his fencing career. Mike’s first triathlon was the Nation’s Triathlon in 2007 and he has been addicted to the sport since. Mike has completed over 20 triathlons ranging in distance from super-sprint to Ironman and every distance in between. As an ACE-certified personal trainer and president of DC-based District Fitness, Mike has helped numerous athletes complete endurance events—including triathlons, marathons, and bike events. Since 2010, he has served as the head coach and founder of the Higher Achievement triathlon team and has helped over 15 athletes train for and complete their first triathlon.

Rob Foreman

 

Rob's career in fitness was originally inspired by his HS cross country and collegiate rowing coach. He has a degree in Kinesiology from the University of Maryland and is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach. After college Rob wanted to try a challenging and dynamic event so he signed up for his first Triathlon. Rob has only participated in Olympic distance races but plans on doing his first Half Ironman this year. He considers himself a recreational participant and enjoys pushing his mind and body to the limit. Rob was one of the Achieve Triathlon Camp coaches and has spent years as a youth swim instructor. If you see Rob on the race course you're probably passing him on the bike leg.

 

Michelle Harburg

 

Michelle Harburg is an elite triathlete who coaches all 3 disciplines and has lots of tips on effective training for triathlon. Her recent athletic achievements include: winning the Jamaica Triathlon, placing 4th at the ITU Long Course World Championships, and qualifying for Kona's World Championship Ironman Race. She is currently attending American University for her MBA and will graduate in May, 2012. At the same time, she works as the Community Development Director for ACHIEVE Kids Tri.

Jeff Horowitz

Jeff ran his first marathon in 1987, and fell in love with the sport. Since then, he’s run over 160 marathons and ultramarathons, doing at least one in every state in the U.S. and also around the world, from Antarctica to Africa and Asia. Formerly a practicing attorney, he is now a program director for Achieve Kids Tri, Inc. a D.C.-based non-profit that introduces at-risk kids ages 9-14 to a healthy lifestyle through the sport of triathlon. Jeff is a certifed personal trainer and running, cycling, and triathlon coach. He has been the Mid-Atlantic editor of Competitor magazine, and a frequent contributer to Marathon & Beyond as well as other publications. His first book, My First 100 Marathons; 2,620 Miles With An Obsessive Runner was released in 2008. Jeff's most recent book is Smart Marathon Running, a guide to discovering how purposeful, targeted running, combined with a smart strength and cross-training plan, can make you a stronger, healthier runner. He is married to the artist Stephanie Kay, with whom he has a 6 year old son, Alex Michael. Visit Jeff and check out his informative blog.



 
Becky McLean



Becky has been an avid runner and hardcore spinning instructor for almost a decade and took on the sport of triathlon in 2009 when she decided she needed new athletic challenges in her life. She is a two time ACHIEVE youth triathlon coach and cycling coach for Team Lipstick DC. She is proud of her 2011 race calendar, which included faster bike/run times and the completion of her first Half Ironman in the Poconos in October. She passionately advocates for health and wellness and is pursuing her Master’s Degree in Public Health at the Colorado School of Public Health, concentrating on community and behavioral health and promotion.

 





Ronald Molina
 
Ronald recently started doing triathlons in June of 2010 and has been hooked on the sport. During his childhood and throughout his life he has loved swimming and biking; then in 2010, he was introduced to the sport of triathlon by his older brother and was intent on training hard for his first one. He completed the 2010 Washington DC Triathlon and volunteered at the ACHIEVE Youth Triathlon. Recently he ran the 5 Mile Alexandria Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning. Ronald is looking forward in introducing more minority athletes and others to the sport of triathlon and to promote a healthy and active lifestyle.

 

Shaun Reddy

Shaun is a personal trainer and hold a Master’s Degree in Exercise Science from GWU. In 2012 he plans to get USAT Level 1 Triathlon Coach Certified. His first triathlon was The 2010 Nation’s Tri 2010. He became instantly hooked. In 2011 he completed six more triathlons and achieved his personal goal of becoming an elite level triathlete. His goal for 2012 is to complete his first Ironman at Lake Placid. Shaun loves triathlon because it makes him a better person. It provides the structure necessary to challenge his physical and mental abilities. It also provides excellent opportunities to meet other like-minded individuals who validate his passion for healthy living.


Darren Rentch
 
Darren is a USAT Level 1 coach and has completed 33 triathlons since 2008 including 2 Ironman and 8 Half Ironman races. His key races for 2011 were DC Tri, Ironman RI 70.3, Ironman 70.3 World Championships and Ironman AZ. His 2012 calendar includes Ironman 70.3 New Orleans, Ironman Coeur d'Alene, Ironman Cozumel and Nations Tri. Darren was a 2010 USAT HM All American and currently holds a 2011 All American ranking as well. He is also ranked 4th in his AG in the Aquabike category. Darren is a board member of the Bike Rack Multisport Team and currently resides in DC with his wife Jennifer (who is also a brand ambassador).



Jenn Rentch

 
Jennifer started doing triathlons in July of 2008. In the past four years, she has raced extensively in and around the United States in a variety of triathlons and AquaVelo races including 3 iron distance races. This coming year brings several more iron distance races to her busy schedule. She is currently ranked first in her age group for the USAT AquaVelo rankings. Jennifer is a Level I certified USAT coach and is involved with the upcoming 2012 Tri clinic series. She is also a member of and a project coordinator for the Bike Rack Multisport team.

 

Travis Siehndel

In 2003, Travis departed his beloved couch and a bag of Doritos in search of a more active lifestyle. After discovering the sport of triathlon, Travis quickly became hooked on the multisport lifestyle. He can be seen around town participating in road and trail races, marathons, ultramarathons and of course, triathlons, including the inaugural 2009 Ironman Cozumel. An active member and former president of theDC Triathlon Club, he has also been deeply involved with DC Tri‘s New Triathleteand Ironman Training Programs. In addition to working as a brand ambassador for the Nation's and Washington DC Triathlons, Travis is also a volunteer coordinator for those races. He also volunteers for ACHIEVE Youth Triathlon. When he's not out training, Travis trades his carbon-fiber bike for a silver plated tuba which he uses to serenade he new wife Katie with beautiful melodies (Yes, playing tuba really is his day job). 




Kaitlin Sighinolfi


In 2007, Kait received the scariest piece of news: she was diagnosed with Stage 2, medistinal, large B cell non-hodgkins lymphoma. How does a healthy 24 year old handle that news? Plan a strategy, be aggressive, fight and win! In an attempt to get back in shape, and prove to friends and family that she was in fact healthy, Kait participated in her first triathlon, Nations 2008. Since that fateful moment, Kait has participated in various multisport events and is beginning to dip her toes into the distance running world hopefully completing her first marathon at Big Sur this spring… all in part of a much larger plan. Although Kait is considered to be "in remission," she will not be deemed "cancer free" until her 5 year anniversary July 2012. The sport of triathlon has helped Kait become comfortable with the idea of being a survivor and regain her status as an athlete. 


Simeon Teopaco


Simeon first became active in the endurance lifestyle while in college; casually running to whip himself back in shape after realizing the toll his health was taking thanks late night pizza and partying. He soon was racing in every local 5K and eventually graduated up to marathons. He participated in his first triathlon through the Team and Training program, where he made a lot of friends and training partners that have continued to enable this endurance sport addiction. 



   

Taldi Walter

Born in Alaska, raised in Montana, Taldi grew up rafting, hiking, and mountain biking the Rockies. When she moved to DC, she traded her mountain bike for a road bike and hiking boots for running shoes. After five years of road races and trail runs, Taldi overcame her swimming anxiety and did her first triathlon in 2010. It went well enough that she joined the Bike Rack Multisport Team and did three more that year. She was hooked. Plagued with a foot injury, she spent 2011 focusing on swimming and swam a total of 16 miles in the waters off the coast of Croatia over the course of a week.