I know it has been a long time since I have written an update for my site. I was trying to wait until I had a better idea of my 2007 plans. I also wanted to make some changes to my site to include some of the new activities I am involved in.
I am excited to say that my 2007 plans are starting to become clear. However, before I share about those plans, I thought I would touch on some of the highlights of 2006 and the early part of 2007. I took the year off from serious training and racing which gave me time to do things and experience things I had never had time to do before. While I still made an effort to stay in shape, my training took a back seat to the other areas in my life.
I continued to coach; working with the Walton Cross Country team in the fall again as well as doing some sport specific performance coaching. The rest of my time was spent learning new skills and spending time with friends and family. It was definitely a different year for me, but it was challenging, fun and exciting at the same time. I moved out of my "comfort zone" many times in 2006, but I truly believe I grew from these new experiences.
The highlights (some of which were mentioned in my early 2006 updates)...
- March - A three day speaking course at Speak Easy here in Atlanta (www.speakeasyinc.com)
- April - My first AAC USOC Olympic Committee meeting in Denver
- June - A performance coaching trip to Oregon
--The Olympic Assembly meetings in California
- August - Trip to Syracuse to see the Patrunos
-- Participating in the swim and run legs of the Greenville Sprint Triathlon with Anthony
-- Ft. Lauderdale to visit my Grandmother
- September - My first ever mission trip... to Brazil (www.sombraroad.org)
- October - Getting certified at a CHARACTER COUNTS conference in Tennessee which will allow me to be a character coach (www.charactercounts.org)
- November - Speaking at the Pace Academy Booster Club Fund Raiser.
-- A trip to New York City ... ice skating at Rockefeller Center.
- December - Finding out that I will be an Aunt. My niece is due in July!!!! Great news to end 2006.
- January 2007 - My first 5k race in a long time... the Wonderful Days of Winter 5k. First Woman overall.
-- Started auditing classes at Oglethorpe University in their Certified Financial Planning program.
- February 2007 - My first ever ski trip... It took me awhile, but I learned how to downhill and cross country ski at Squaw Valley. I loved it!
By January of 2007, I knew that I wanted to continue to pursue the performance and character coaching as well as some motivational speaking. However, I was still a little uncertain about what I wanted to do athletically. I finally came to the decision that I want to ease back into it with some competitive running races this spring as well as the World Aquathlon championships in May. I will then reevaluate to see what will be best for the summer and fall. I will be posting each race on my schedule as soon as I have the dates.
This spring I am also looking forward to another AAC Olympic Committee meeting (this time in New Orleans) as well as my first masters swim meet in years... the Gary Eaton Memorial Invitational.
I also have my fifteen year (I cannot believe it has been that long) high school reunion that I am helping out with to look forward to in April. It should be an exciting spring! I will also be preparing for some high school running camps that I will be speaking at or helping out with (more on that later).
I hope everyone is off to a great start in 2007!
Kelly
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Welcome To My New Site!
For the past few years, I have had the opportunity to travel the world competing as a Professional Triathlete in the ITU Olympic distance and shorter races. I competed in the 2004 Olympic Triathlon trials and made the 2004 U.S. World Triathlon Team. I am currently the Triathlon representative on the Athletes Advisory Council to the United States Olympic Committee. Through this website, I hope you will enjoy getting to know a little about me and in reading my race reports learn how I progressed from an amateur triathlete to a professional one. I had so many wonderful experiences; happy, funny, frustrating and sometimes disappointing. I have learned so much.
Through my website, I will also keep my friends up to date on my current plans. I hope those reading will take advantage of the links to people, services and sponsors that have been, and continue to be, so helpful and influential to me in my career.
I appreciate the wonderful support I've received as I pursued my triathlon dreams and I look forward to sharing the new challenges and opportunities ahead of me.
All the best,
Kelly
