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General e-mail: admin@aatriclub.org

BOARD MEMBERS

PRESIDENT

Triathlon has been a part of my life for almost a decade. On a whim, I signed up for an Xterra at Brighton rec, which was my local mountain bike trail, and I was instantly hooked. At the time I was working as an auto mechanic and even though I no longer work on cars, I've taught myself to wrench on bikes and I'm always happy to help our club members with some advice or quick bike adjustment. My wife, a fellow club member, and I live in Dexter with our 2 dogs.


VICE PRESIDENT

As an adult-onset athlete, I started with cycling (including a ride across the U.S. in 1997) and keep adding other sports and events. Love life in the back of the pack and occasionally in the middle of the pack. You don't have to be fast, just keep going.


TREASURER

Marathons, ultras and triathlons. Well trained at torturing myself over long periods of time.


SECRETARY

Triathlon was a way of combining all of the “fun things” I did as a kid into a sport. I love the process - training until reaching a goal and challenging oneself, over and over again. And just to up the level of difficulty, do it with three sports!


BOARD MEMBERS AT LARGE

I grew up on a bike in northern Wisconsin before moving to Michigan in middle school. My marching band friends conned me into cross country, and that began my love for endurance sports. I had an exceptional XC coach who was like a father to me. It planted a seed in me that grew along with my love for helping others. I am now in my second year as assistant coach in cross country and track at Forsythe Middle School, a dream I had and sat on for over twenty years, waiting for the "right time". Triathlon for me started in 2010, although I had thoughts of doing it going back to high school. I love the multi-discipline aspect, pushing myself beyond my limits, utilizing my hyper-focus ability, and constantly analyzing and tweaking wherever I can. Now, I am looking at combining my passion for coaching along with my love for triathlon in taking an active role in youth advocacy and development in triathlon for our area. 


Swimmer and runner trying to be a cyclist! Been doing triathlons since my swimming days starting in 2nd grade with a 10 year break after college. I love training and racing in the Midwest and getting to know the club members and all their greatness!


I started running in 2021 and got into some ultramarathons in 2022. I also completed my first sprint triathlon at the T Rex at the end summer that year. I was able to get one more sprint in this year, but some health issues have prevented me from participating as much as I envisioned in 2023. While this was not ideal for me, it did give me the opportunity to spectate and be involved more socially. Some of my favorite takeaways from this was seeing how supportive everyone is and the levels of determination and resilience is truly inspiring.


I’m a lifelong runner. Unless you include that gap of 20-something years I took in my mid-20’s to mid-40’s. Needless to say, I wasn’t in the best shape of my life when I started training for my first triathlon in 2014: a sprint near Traverse City. Lake Michigan was cold. I didn’t have a wet suit. I didn’t know how to change gears on my rented bike. But I finished and was hooked! The rest of the week was spent visiting every winery and craft brewery on Old Mission and Leelanau Peninsulas. I enjoyed that vacation more than any other, and it was completely guilt-free. I made virtually every mistake possible in that first triathlon. As a member of the Ann Arbor Triathlon Club board, I want to help others avoid those mistakes. To do this, it’s important to make sure everyone feels welcome!


Hello! I am Melissa Wright and this is my second season with AATC. I found the club through running friends and have been dabbling with multisport ever since. I enjoy racing the T-Rex series locally and also enjoy challenging myself to longer distances. I completed my first Olympic and my first 70.3 this year! In addition to being a triathlete, I am also an ultramarathon runner, a dog lover, and an engineer. I am engaged to club member Dylan McKeever and we are looking forward to our wedding next fall. I want to be a voice for new athletes who are just starting their journey and for current members who want to grow in the sport. Triathlon can be a very intimidating sport! Having recently started my own journey I feel I am in a good position to represent this role.


I started as a runner in 2012 when I did my first road race CRIM. Since then I have finished 30 marathon races and numerous other shorter distance running races. After I moved to live in Ann Arbor and connected with AATC, I attempted my first Tri race T-Rex in 2016 and I got hooked with triathlon. I love all aspects of training and it in turn helps me keep a healthy lifestyle and make great friends in AATC.


COMMITTEES & LEADS

CLUB RACES

The first step for this committee is to identify options for yearly club races and to present to the board. We typically support the T-Rex Triathlon and Tri Goddess as our local races for which we coordinate refreshments and provide the club tent and grill. For destination races, the committee is responsible for booking a hotel room block, scheduling a pre-race dinner, coordinating transportation of the tent and hosting a WhatsApp group to keep everyone informed.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION (DEI)

Meet monthly to discuss our role in promoting our club and making sure that it is accessible to a wider array of people. Our goal is to educate ourselves on best practices by engaging in community and nationwide events. The committee then shares best practices and provides content to committees like social media and education.

EDUCATION

Plan clinics, educational panels and talks, and to gather other educational resources from both within and outside of our club that can be linked through our webpage. This may include coordinating venues for educational sessions or coordinating and leading virtual meetings. Topics may include nutrition, cross-training, maintenance training, mental health, mindfulness and gear reviews.

KIT & SWAG

Coordinate club kit and swag design and manage team stores.

SPONSORSHIPS

Work with our current partners and seek out new partners to have mutually beneficial relationships.

SOCIAL EVENTS

Plan the fall and spring meetings including securing a facility/site, planning food, coordinating with sponsors and organizing a speaker for the spring meeting are the main goals of this group. We will also aim to host an early season new member meeting as an opportunity for new members to meet other athletes. We also work to include non-triathlon or even non-athletic events including happy hours, book club, or other informal meet-ups.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Manage the club Facebook, Instagram and YouTube channel. These accounts allow for us to promote our sponsors and individual club members, to announce upcoming races, and to announce club results at recent races and events.

Rhoda Miel (Facebook, YouTube), Audrey Wu (Instagram)

VOLUNTEER

Be in touch with community organizations for which we volunteer, especially Epic Races. This entails checking in about volunteer needs and expectations as well as recruiting the volunteers.

WEBSITE

Manage club website and membership software logistics.

WORKOUT

Host year-round workouts which include but are not limited to swim, run, bike and brick events. Committee members assist in planning the workouts, updating information on both the website and the club calendar, route planning, securing sites/facilities, coordinating refreshments where appropriate and making sure that at least one member of the workout committee is present at each workout to be available for questions.

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