A native of upstate New York, I swam 4 years at the division one level at the University at Buffalo under coach Andy Bashor.  Upon completion of my collegiate swimming days, I knew my career as an athlete wasn't over.  When I was in middle school, my dream was to go to the Olympics to swim. I haven't gave up that dream to be at the most competitive level in a sport.

 

I couldn't give up the thrill and adrenaline rush I always had before a race, so I started my master's swimming career with the BUMS (Binghamton University Masters Swimming) during the fall of 2011.  I competed in swim meets and continued my open water career with the Penn State Masters Swim Team in grad school and with the Reston Masters Swim Team in Northern Virginia into 2013. I started to continue my open water career in California but had experienced an injury that prevented me from being in the water for 6 months. I'm back to being healthy, still finding time to swim with the Reno Masters Swim Team.

 

I competed in my first year of triathlon during the summer of 2012 because a close friend said I might like the sport. I raced in a few sprint and olympic races throughout grad school at Penn State.  Another friend and soon to be coach of mine gave me hope that I might do well in the sport and that I needed a better bike in order to make that leap to the next level. So I purchased Roxi, the shiv I raced for the first time with at USAT Collegiate Nationals in the spring of 2013.

 

I am in love with the time commitment and dedication that the sport of triathlon thrives on, the freedom of open water swimming, the stress relief and self-awareness running brings, and all of what the daylong bike rides entail. And now that I have the love of mountain biking, it's even better.

 

I'm ready to compete throughout the 2016 season and ready to see where I can go with Xterras...