How I got here...

I'm JoJo.  I have always loved sports and the outdoors.  I played ice hockey soccer and lacrosse, as well as skiing, hiking and various other activities growing up, through high school and college.  Then "real life" began, and I stopped playing sports, and being active.

In 2009 I realized my body wasn't what it used to be, and I tried running a little on the treadmill.  A few weeks later, a friend called me, who knew I'd been starting to run and asked, "would you like to come to Las Vegas with us and do a half marathon?"  I thought out loud, Vegas sounds like a lot of fun, how far a run is that.  She replied "13.1 miles".  Hmmm I thought, Vegas would be fun, I'm sure I'll never make it on a run that far.  So of course, I said YES!!!!

And that's how my love of running came to be.  Training for that first half marathon.  Of course I started smaller with 5 and 10K races.  Each one more fun than the last.  I fell in love with the training.  Personal time, stress relief, and time for introspection.  Guess what else happened...my body started to change and I liked what I was seeing in the mirror, and how I was feeling every day.  I did it.  I completed that half marathon in Las Vegas. Awesome!  Before I could even catch my breath, that same friend said "Would you like to do a 190 mile running relay next?" So, of course I said YES!!!! (She would later tell me it would only be a 6 person team, but that's another story)

While training for that relay, I injured myself.  A little over use, and 3 stress fractures later, I found myself in the pool trying to recover.  And that’s how the triathlete began to emerge.

For the past 4 years I have been running and competing in triathlons of all distances (well not quite a full Ironman yet).  I love so many things about triathlon and running.  First, is the person I have become.  I like who I see in the mirror, and I like how I feel inside.  I’m back to the size I was in college while paying ice hockey 2 hours a day.  Second, are the people.  People from every walk of life, competing in the same races.  Not only are they competing, but they all seem to be willing to help out, encourage, and offer advice to complete strangers.  It is a fabulous community of people, many of whom I can now call friends.

So here I am with a new love and passion; exercise, competition, and the next adventure.