Drum roll…. next up is Katie Walker 

Katie began her lifetime in athletics back in the pre-Simone Biles era of gymnastics. Katie’s older sister was a gymnast, so naturally Katie followed in her sister’s footsteps, and was a competitive gymnast from childhood until she was 14 (see below for a picture of 5 year old Katie chalking up for bars ). After falling out of love with the competitive aspects of gymnastics, Katie decided to take up horseback riding, and rode recreationally from middle school and into freshman year of college. During middle school and high school, Katie also joined her school’s track and cross country teams and, ironically, didn’t love running long distances. She often protested when her team would have to run the mile distance between the high school and track as the warmup before track practice. She has to think that younger-Katie would be totally blown away by how far present day-Katie runs for fun

After high school, Katie took a short hiatus from sport/athletics, until she started running 5ks and 10ks during her sophomore year of undergrad. During her junior year of undergrad in 2015, Katie decided to test her legs in longer races, and ran her first half marathon (Rock ‘n Roll Chicago). Then in 2016, she finished her first marathon (Flying Pig in Cincinnati ), which kicked off her love of long distance running and racing. Katie has continued running marathons and road races since then, and also finished her first (and only…so far) 50k at Gate 2 Gate in 2019!

A near-drowning experience as a child put her off from triathlons initially, however with much encouragement from friends and family, Katie signed up for her first triathlon, the Trigators Sprint Triathlon, in 2022. And, like many of us know, you can’t just do one triathlon! Since her first race at Trigators in 2022, Katie has continued to race in sprint, olympic, and 70.3 races, and also completed her first Ironman at Chattanooga in 2023! Katie loves the thrill of racing, and the daily grind of training, but most importantly, she loves all of the amazing friendships she’s made during her triathlon journey Katie also loves to race and train with her family, and often races short-distance tris and half marathons with her dad, does 5ks with her mom, and even talked her sister into doing a sprint tri once!

Aside from triathlon, and in her “free time”, Katie also enjoys hiking, spending time with her dog, and snowboarding!

Next up for our featured Athlete of the month is Zac Radke 

Zac’s story is an amazing one. At nearly 215 pounds and with diabetes lurking, a doctor’s visit and a chronically injured hamstring led Zac Radke in need of a new hobby he could be passionate about. He started going to a gym primarily with a focus on building muscle and cardiovascular fitness. This soon turned into weight loss. After a year, Zac progressed from barely getting through a ¼ mile run to racing 5K’s.

Prior to this, Zac was a self described “couch potato” who played video games and did computer programming all day. He notes he had no athleticism or physical ability. However, with hard work and dedication, he was soon running competitively.

After suffering running related injuries, setbacks, and boredom he decided to take up cycling to maintain his fitness. Once running and cycling had become routine it seemed only natural to add swimming and try triathlon. Zac swam recreationally as a child, but never competitively. He admits he was in for quite a surprise when it came to competitive, open water swimming. Zac notes that he never really found his place in team sports and he enjoys the individuality of triathlon.

It’s been 12 years since Zac toed the line in his first triathlon and he still feels butterflies before a big race. “Always finding a new challenge” is what he says keeps triathlon interesting. Since 2017 he has planned 1 “bucket list” race for the year; including the Triple Challenge at the Chicago Triathlon, Escape from Alcatraz, multiple national championships, and 3 world championships. In addition to triathlons, Aquabike has been some of the most fun racing he says. He cites the Olympic and 70.3 as his favorite to train for but also enjoys the all-out pace of super-sprints. More recently, “Cross Triathlon” or off-road has been his focus. What started as a way to cross train on the bike for a world championship led to racing cross triathlons, podiuming at Nationals, and representing TeamUSA at the Cross Triathlon World Championships. He says what he enjoys most about off-road is “racing in the shade of the trees”. 

Zac joined G3 in early 2013. He says he initially joined for the sponsor discounts but has stayed because of the great people he’s met through triathlon. If you haven’t had a chance to train with Zac you should definitely do it. 

Next up is #wheresmark aka Mark McLaughlin

Mark started racing motocross when he was 5 years old. His dad would take him to build his race bikes and they traveled to all the races together. Mark raced until he was 28 years old, when we lost my mom to cancer (my heart goes out to him as we all know how important our moms are )

After losing his mom Mark lost the desire to race motocross, he was cycling with his bother a bit but missed competing. That same year his brother’s sister-in-law raced Augusta 70.3, Mark told him how cool it would be to do a triathlon, but that he was too big for that. At the time Mark weighed about 275lbs. He encouraged Mark to do one, so in 2019 Mark raced Augusta 70.3 and the feeling he had after crossing the finish line was something he had never quite experienced, the pure happiness of accomplishing something that seemed impossible. Mark has since continued to lose weight, hitting the 100lbs lost milestone. (Way to go, Mark!) He also raced seven 70.3 races, the most recent being Chattanooga 70.3 just a week ago where he broke 6 hours for the first time.

Mark really enjoys the sprint distance as well as 70.3’s. The next races Mark is planning on doing are the Sommer Sports Summer Tri Series and Clash Daytona 70.3 in December. We all love training with you Mark and have loved watching you crush your goals. Keep it up. Thank you for being on the G3 Board and for being such a great athlete and friend to us all.

Next up is our sweet Laura Mackey Coppola. 

She grew up playing soccer and showing horses. Laura swam for one season in high school, she says “if you can consider a three person team with no coach a swim team” She ran track only because they needed someone to run the 1600 and 3200. She says she was awful (which I am sure she wasn’t) but that she was a body. Laura started running again when her three kids were young. She was homeschooling them and needed an outlet. Running turned into a half marathon which turned into an Olympic triathlon in 2016. She was 2nd in her age group and was instantly hooked. It escalated quickly after that, as it is for most of us in here she completed her first 70.3 in Chattanooga, raced Challenge Daytona, and then qualified for the Boston marathon the week before everything was shut down due to Covid at what was the Snickers marathon in Georgia. She finally got to run Boston in October of 2021. She was injured for the entire training cycle and most of her fitness came from swimming and pool running, but she made it to the finish line.

Laura completed her first full Ironman in Chattanooga in 2022 and qualified for Kona with a Women for Tri slot. Competing in Kona was beyond anything she could imagine and she is so thankful to have the opportunity. Currently Laura is in training for Sea 2 Summit in July and has her sights on Ironman 70.3 Louisville in August and Ironman California in October. Thanks for sharing your story with us, Laura. We love having you on the G3 Board with us and a member of the club.

I thought it would be fun to start introducing some of our board members and then highlighting our G3 members. This week is Sharon Byun.

She is a board certified OBGYN and Lifestyle Medicine physician who found her way to triathlon in 2012 at the age of 43 after 25 years of a mostly sedentary lifestyle, not having swum in a pool since the age of 18 or ridden a bike (mountain bike) for 10 years. Since that time, Sharon has competed mostly in short course races including racing for Team USA as an age-group athlete in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022 and 2023. She did not attempt her first 70.3 until age 52 and her first and only Ironman (Alaska) until age 53. Sharon's favorite races are Crystal River Sprint (her first), Trigators, Escape From Alcatraz, all of the Team USA Age Group World Championships events, IM 70.3 St. George and IM Alaska. "The best thing about triathlon is definitely the people! Also, it is the only sport where we have the opportunity to compete alongside professional/elite triathletes as well as physically challenged athletes. Triathletes are an incredibly welcoming, encouraging and inspiring group of people. Our triathlon club in Gainesville is one of the best clubs in the country! I am proud and honored to serve as a board member, having joined the club at the time of its inception back in 2012." Sharon said she hopes to be able to encourage and mentor newbies and continue to train and compete with friends for as long as her body will allow. If you are looking for a great coach, her coach is Karyn Austin who has coached her since 2014. She also coaches our local masters swim team, Swamp Water Aquatics Gainesville (SWAG). In Sharon's personal life, she enjoys traveling and spending quality time with her husband Louis, son Thomas, and her beloved dogs Suki and Zues. Her mottos are choose your own timeline, create your own journey, live life on your own terms and be true to yourself. Also age is just a number! Don’t let your age be your limiter.

Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon Interview: Women of Escape Sharon Byun

World Triathlon Interview article: Extraordinary Triathletes: Sharon Byun (USA)

Thank you for sharing your story with us Sharon Byun. We all are so grateful for your knowledge, your support, your love and your friendship. 

            Looking for a challenge with her 40^thbirthday approaching, Karen Harbaugh signed up for the TriGators Super Sprint Triathlon in 2008.  Little did she know then how much triathlon and endurance sports would become part of her life.

            Karen has no specific sports background. As a kid, she was always playing outside and riding her bike around the neighborhood.  She waterskiied, snorkeled, and generally played at the beach growing up.  At 16, she bought a 10-speed bike and would later ride it to all of her college classes.  Once in Gainesville, she discovered the High Intensity Interval Class, formerly known as Sports Conditioning, hosted by Andy Farina.  It was through the connections made here that she would first start in obstacle races and triathlons.  Impressively, Karen was the female overall winner of the Superhero Scramble, a Mud Run, in 2013 out of 708 women and finished 12^thoverall out of 1,388 athletes.  That same year, Karen would take an age group victory in the Siesta Key Sprint Triathlon by out sprinting her nearest competitor, winning by a single second.

            Karen joined G3 in 2015 while training for Ironman Louisville. She wanted to meet other people in the sport and learn as much as she possibly could.  It would be meeting John Bongiovanni that put her mind at ease as he and the other members were so kind and welcoming.  Complicating that Ironman was the fact that she was diagnosed with a meniscus tear which made training in the final two months leading up the event quite challenging, especially given the high mileage needed with running.  She would go on to finish that Ironman, her first.  She had a big support crew of friends at that race which she will always cherish.  She will also never forget with Timothy Donovan caught up to her halfway through the marathon and they ran the rest of the way together.  She finished in 13:01:13.  Finishing that race taught her that anything is possible if you just believe in yourself.

           Karen feels that her best accomplishment in the sport of triathlon is qualifying for Team USA and lists competing for Team USA in the ITU Draft Legal Sprint World Finals in Gold Coast, Australia in September of 2018 as her favorite race.  She finished 30^thin the world in her age group.  She qualified again for the 2019 World Championships, but sadly had to decline due to a knee injury.  She notes that it was an honor and privilege to represent the United States on this stage.

            Karen notes that her best ever race result, however, was in 2016 in Ironman Chattanooga.  On a sweltering hot day she clocked a 12:14:40, finishing 9^thin her age group and 52^ndamong all women.  A truly remarkable accomplishment given the 97°high and heat index of over 100°!  That morning, prior to the swim start surrounded by friends, Karen fondly remembers loudly singing “Best Day of My Life” by American Authors.  The song gives her goose bumps to this day.

            The following year, 2017, would be another big year for Karen.  She was the overall female masters champion in the Gate2Gate Ultramarathon 50K, clocking an impressive 6:03:59.  That same year, she was selected to be an ambassador for the Vibram shoe brand.

            As part of Karen’s pre race routine, she likes to eat dinner and go to bed early.  On the morning of the race, she likes to rise at least 2 hours prior to getting to the race venue.  She eats peanut butter and honey toast, Gatorade, water, and a cup of coffee. About an hour before the start time, she eats a banana and drinks additional water.  She likes to warm up in the water with a bit of swimming as it seems to calm her nerves and then she takes a GU about 10 minutes before her wave begins.

            For people thinking about becoming involved in the sport, Karen advises to “find your tribe.”  Having a fun, supportive, and encouraging group with which to share your triathlon journey makes all the difference in the world.  She also advises to not worry about keeping up with the Joneses by thinking you must buy fancy equipment.  If you decide to keep it as a part of your life, you can always upgrade equipment in the future depending upon your goals.

            As far as goals are concerned, Karen aims to remain consistent in her training and recovery and see improvements in all aspects of triathlon.  Primarily she wants to stay as strong and healthy for as long as possible. What she loves most is the connections she has made with friends and the positive impact that the sport has had in her life.

            There is more to Karen than just endurance sports.  She loves roller coasters and has even gone bungee jumping.  Additionally, she has donated over 7 gallons of blood in her lifetime and remains active on the bone marrow donor registry.  She had all three of her children’s cord blood donated for stem cells.

            Karen is now 50 years old.  She works as a full time Physician Assistant in Interventional Radiology at the VA.  She is also the mother to three children, ages 22, 20, and 15. Karen joined the board of G3 in 2016 and remains an active member of the board to this day.

     In June of 2017, Cassady Allen, now 28 years old, toed the line for her first ever triathlon in the JAX Triathlon Series #1. Her journey to the starting line began in high school where she specialized in freestyle distance and individual medley swimming.  Her coach, an Ironman athlete, who would jump in the water to do her workouts after she finished coaching her athletes, inspired her.  An Ironman was added to Cassady’s bucket list. But life would derail those dreams in the short term.  At 22 years of age, she was told that she would never be a successful runner due to new onset asthma, a condition she has never had before.  However, her physician did not know how stubborn Cassady can be. 

     Cassady set out to become a runner.  At first, she could get no farther than a quarter mile without sitting on the curb with her inhaler.  She persisted.  She signed up for a 5K and with the couch-to-5K program, she was able to finish.  A few years later, with her dogged determination, she extended her distances to 10K, half marathons, marathon, and then ultimately an ultra marathon, the first ever Gate2Gate 50K in 2016 which she would complete in 7:24:34.

     Over the time in which she transformed herself into a long distance runner, it would be leg injuries, not asthma that would ultimately slow her down.  First it was a knee, then a hip, then a foot, and finally the other knee. Her orthopedic team warned that further damage could end up in major surgery.  She was now limited to 20 miles a week of pounding the pavement. However, she was told she could swim and bike as much as she wanted.  So in the fall of 2016, already knowing many G3 members through running clubs and events, the decision to join G3 was made as she new she would need support, encouragement, and friendship while embarking upon this new adventure.  Cassady notes that this was one of the easiest decisions she has ever made.

     Cassady would finish that Jacksonville race in 1:25:00 and she was hooked.  She loved swimming in the ocean and feeling the breeze while riding her bike, which she described as peaceful.  She loved the atmosphere at the finish line.

     Cassady lists the Great Clermont Sprint Triathlon in March of 2019 as her best ever race as she was the 3^rdoverall female finisher, a truly amazing accomplishment for someone with less than two years of racing under her belt.  She hasn’t been a huge fan of the biking, but has slowly learned to enjoy it.  She had her best bike ever that day on a very difficult bike course averaging 20.5 mph.  But Cassady finds that just being able to cross the finish line still amazes her that her body is able to carry her through the completion of each race.

     While Cassady has no triathlons that she’s like to forget, she does regret running the Disney Wine and Dine half marathon while battling a major knee injury.  She wasn’t medically cleared yet and was in terrible pain by the second mile. Maybe the worst pain was telling her physical therapist what she had done!

     Cassady has a couple of pre race routines she follows.  She packs and repacks her gear numerous times before loading her car, just to make sure she has everything she needs.  On race day, she lays out her transition spot in a similar fashion to ensure everything is just right.  Right before the race starts, she likes to sip on a Red Bull as she notes it gives her a little extra jolt of “go-get-it” right before the swim.

For people thinking about getting involved in triathlon, she advises, “Just got for it!”  She notes that it is okay to be excited, scared, nervous, etc. Everyone has a first experience with triathlons and felt the multitude of emotions that comes with it. Triathlons can be overwhelming but it helps to have a strong support system like G3!  And if you ever have questions, just ask!  If someone doesn’t know the answer, they probably know someone who does!

     Cassady is a Binder Lab Manager for the FL Dept of Transportation.  In layman’s terms, she is an asphalt chemist who “hides away in a lab all day and works on research projects for the State.”

     Outside of becoming faster, Cassady hopes to fulfill the Ironman dream that first inspired her in high school.  She plans on tackling that task at Ironman Maryland in 2019!  

In June of 2014, Timothy Donovan embarked upon his first triathlon, the Siesta Beach Triathlon.  He did so at the urging of Karen Harbaugh as he wanted to do a “short” triathlon before attempting Ironman Augusta 70.3 that same year.  Karen had convinced him that Augusta was doable as “The swim is downstream in a river,” and “A potato chip bag floated down the river and made the cutoff time.”   So Tim took on the Olympic distance race as his first ever race and it was an “utter disaster.”  His swim time nearly matched his 10K run time and he nearly left T1 without his helmet.  He notes his combined transition time was approximately 13 minutes.  But he would not be dissuaded.  He would race Augusta that September in 5:25:50 and he was hooked.

In 2015, Tim set his sights on a bigger distance race and so he, Karen, and Jeff Godman signed up for 2015 Ironman Louisville.  This is the time that Tim also joined G3 as he was hoping it was a good opportunity to meet like-minded athletes.  At the first meeting he attended, he met John Bongiovanni, who had separately signed up for the same Ironman.  Tim would go on to finish that race in 13:01:13.  Looking back, Tim believes that the summer of training and racing together with old friends and new were some of the best experiences he has had in triathlon.            

Tim considers his best ever race result the 2014 Five Points of Life Half Marathon in which he clocked a 1:33:06.  He considers his greatest accomplishment in triathlon completing the 2016 Ironman Chattanooga.  A stifling heat wave overtook the southern US and the 19% DNF rate was excessive.  The high temperature was 97 degrees with a heat index of 102.  He was able to complete the course (144.6) in 13:14:33, a tremendous time considering the average finish time was 13:59:00 of those who could complete the course.  He felt the race was a celebration of all the training he had done with numerous other G3 members who all raced that day too.  Tim believes that the training for an Ironman in and of itself is a true accomplishment.

While Tim has no races he would like to forget, he does have one race that stands out that he would love to have a “do-over,” Ironman Puerto Rico 70.3.  After his best ever non river swim, he began having GI issues 20 miles into the bike and vomited 3 miles into the run and ended up walking the majority of the half marathon.

Tim has a background in track and cross country, which he ran in high school.  He has been a G3 board member since 2016, is 41 years old, and works as a Project Manager for Complete Structural Consulting, a G3 sponsor.  Tim’s goals in the sport are to promote it to get more people off the sidelines and involved as he has seen first hand all of the benefits of the sport, not only from a physical health perspective, but also from all of the great friends and memories that are made through the race preparation.

        In 2010 as a sophomore at the University of Florida, a friend of Amanda Morgan’s was thinking of doing a triathlon.  At that point, Amanda was 50 lbs heavier and couldn’t run a quarter mile.  She believed she could not accomplish such a feat.  She then got upset with herself for thinking so negatively and signed up.  She completed the Moss Park Sprint Triathlon in October and her life hasn’t been the same since.

         Amanda, who grew up riding horses and has no background in endurance sports, has morphed into a multiple Ironman finisher and a Kona qualifier and as one could expect, lists the experience of the 2015 race and trip as the highlight of her triathlon career.  The best race result she has ever earned is Ironman Maryland in 2014.  Here at the age of 24 she finished in 11:02:41 and posted a blazing fast 5:24:35 on the bike.  This was good for a 2^nd place age group finish.  Just one month later she would punch her ticket to the Big Island with a first place finish at Ironman Florida due to personal bests on the bike and run (weather cancelled the swim leg that year).

         Amanda’s advice for people considering a triathlon is to “Just give it a tri!”  She advises to start small and borrow equipment as after your first race you will either hate it or fall in love with the sport and it will quickly change your life.  She also recommends finding a group to train and grow with.

         Amanda joined G3 in 2016 when she moved back to Gainesville to take a job as a 4-H agent at the UF/IFAS Extension Office in Alachua County.  She was involved in TriGators when she was a student and wanted to become involved in the “adult” triathlon community.

         While some races have been better than others, Amanda feels like there was a lesson in all of them that she would never trade the experience for.  In May of 2015 she raced Ironman St. Croix 70.3.  The race is oppressive with rough water, an extremely windy and mountainous bike course, and humidity and heat that make Florida summers feel cool.  However, the experience prepared her for Kona where conditions are equally as challenging.  Plus she had a blast post-race with her mother snorkeling and exploring.

         Amanda’s biggest inspiration has been her mother.  When she first saw an Ironman video, she knew she needed to attempt the impossible.  After finishing her first Ironman (2012 Wisconsin), she set her sights on Kona qualification.  It took a few years of training and fueling that drive to excel to push her to qualification and throughout that journey her mom was her #1 supporter.  She attended every event and became her personal race Sherpa.  She took Amanda’s dream and made it her own in a completely unselfish and caring way.  After that first IM finish, she told her mother of her big dreams.  Her mother believed in her and that was all Amanda needed.  It took three years of training and finding the right coach.  There was no one more proud of her when she crossed the finish line with an age group victory than her mother.  Shortly after qualifying, Amanda’s mother would be diagnosed with a rare and aggressive bone cancer.  She underwent an aggressive resection of nearly half of her face and went through 90 days of radiation therapy.  Sadly, the last treatment fell the day after Amanda’s Kona trip and her mother was unable to attend, as travel was not possible.  While she said that missing Kona was one of her life’s greatest disappointments, she never complained and was still encouraging others around her, even up to her death in early 2016.  Her mother remains her inspiration as she went through incredible suffering yet still found joy, peace, and hope in her everyday journey.  Her favorite color was purple and so Amanda wraps purple bar tape on her bike, the Black Pearl. This way, her mother is always with her watching over her as a guardian angel while cycling on the road.

         In addition to G3, Amanda races for Team Wattie Ink, a “high octane group of hand selected individuals.”  She loves supporting the brand and the team’s sponsors.  She loves the clothing and notes she “could sleep in my tri kit” as it is the most comfortable gear you’ll ever wear.  She notes that Sean or “Wattie” and his wife, professional triathlete Heather Jackson, are two of the finest people you will ever meet.

         Currently, Amanda aims to keep bettering herself athletically and personally.  She is working with a coach, Nick Brodnicki, to help get faster and stronger.  She believes that working with a coach who can tailor your schedule and approach does wonders for improving.  She hopes to remain more consistent and has her eyes on a repeat trip to the Big Island.

Wendy Wiggs, now 51, was an avid runner.  She has been running most of her life and loves it.  She used to have a car magnet that stated “running is my Prozac.”  She loves listening to music and

 zoning out on long runs.  However, in 2001, while training for the Disney Marathon, she developed a stress fracture in her foot.  Her podiatrist, a triathlete, suggested that she begin cross training.  She finished the marathon in 4:20:24, which she was happy about.

After completing the marathon, she began cross training which naturally led to the sport of triathlon.  In May of 2002, just 5 months later, she completed the Fantasy of Flight Triathlon in Polk City, FL.

Since then, Wendy has competed in many triathlons.  She lists the 2015 Tri Rock Triathlon in Clearwater as her favorite race.  There were many triathletes from Gainesville which made for a fun and warm atmosphere.  She was very disappointed to learn the event was discontinued this year.  She also notes that her best race result was also in 2015 at the Turtle Crawl Sprint Triathlon in Jekyll Island, GA.  She finished the race in 1:45:49 and finished second in her age group.

When it comes to a race she would like to forget, she lists the Moss Park Sprint Triathlon from 2011.  She became very sick at the end of the race due to dehydration.  She used this as a learning experience and improved upon her race day nutrition/hydration.  Before every race she eats ½ of a bagel with almond butter and banana slices and drinks a bottle of scratch with water.  She also takes two shot blocks 15 minutes before the race begins.  This routine has helped her.

Wendy lists her fear of open water ocean swimming as her biggest accomplishment in triathlon.  She is thankful for her swimming coach, Karyn Austin, for the improvements in her ability and confidence.

Wendy would advise a beginner to triathlon to either hire a coach or pair up with an experienced triathlete to learn how to train without having to go through all the trial and error that she endured.

Wendy loves the sport because it challenges you in three different disciplines.  She joined G3 in 2013 so that she could be around other like-minded athletes who love the same aspects the sport has to offer that she does.  She also loves being at races and seeing her teammates cheering for each other and finds this greatly motivating.

Wendy wants to improve her cycling and so she purchased a power meter this year with the goal in mind of upping her power and improving her bike splits.  For 2017, she has her sights set on a 70.3 finish.

Wendy is a married mother of 3 whose husband Johnny is the head baseball coach at Santa Fe College.  She works as a Nurse Practitioner specializing in osteoarthritis, preventive health care, and age management.  Additionally, she provides nutritional testing and counseling to help people learn about vitamin deficiencies they may have.  She recently wrote an article about this topic in the Oct/Nov issue of HOME Magazine.  The link can be found below.

http://homemagazinegainesville.com/3-ways-to-improve-your-health-with-optimal-nutrition/