Our ambassadors are athletes who inspire and encourage others and are active in their local communities. The participate and volunteer at events, and are active on social media. The French Creek Racing Ambassador team is open to anyone training and racing at any level, any distance. If you love endurance sports, are enthusiastic about training and racing and can encourage others to join you, we want you on our team!
When I turned 50 years old, I decided a triathlon was a goal. Having some experience with running, swimming and biking needed development. To help with swimming, I participated in the Open Water Series at FCR for the past three years. The vibe was so positive and encouraging. I also have enjoyed the French Creek Triathlon the last two years as a relay team member.
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As an avid cyclist and runner, I contacted FCR for assistance in Improving my swimming in order to start racing in Triathlon.
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2024 Team USA Open Water Olympian
USA Open Water National Team Member
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I grew up in North Jersey and always loved swimming. I swam on my town’s summer rec league, was a very average club swimmer, and had a lot of fun on my high school team. In college I coached my childhood team, then stepped away from the water for the next 20 years. After having kids, I needed something to make me feel like me again. I found FCR, and when I came to a practice it felt like coming home. Since then, I’ve been to as many workouts and races as possible, and am always happy to be there.
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I enjoy swimming and writing poetry about swimming. In my ten years participating in FCR, I’ve learned so much about my possibilities. Encouraged to try new events, I’ve done the 200 butterfly, my first marathon swim, and several more besides. As a poet, I value not only the competitive but the aesthetic aspects of swimming, and this year I published my first chapbook of poems titled Writ in Water (Moonstone Pres). At 74, I hope to keep swimming and setting goals as long as possible and to encourage other senior swimmers to do the same.
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I actually was introduced to FCR by someone in our Atlantic Cape Run Group. I went to the website and was really excited about all of the open water swim and triathlon events.
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I got into triathlons about 5 years ago after ‘retiring’ from years of Spartan racing. I quickly realized my swim skills were a problem so I signed up for Lawrence Park sessions and Trooper open water swims. Practicing with the team has improved my swim skills dramatically and made me a better racer overall!
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I have been participating in Triathlon and Multi Sport events for 15+ years and have take part in several FCR races over the years. I am also a certified triathlon coach and enjoy giving back to the sport and the triathlon community.
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Michele has been an endurance athlete since her early teens competing in high school cross country and commuting frequently by bike to summer jobs, sports and swim practices. By 2000 she was involved in the rising triathlon world. Michele has since trained and competed in innumerable sprint distance races. Near 2016 she found French Creek Racing and has enjoyed the spirit, support and inspiration this oddball-welcoming community offers. You’ll often find Michele at the river doing her ‘moving meditation’, kayaking or welcoming newcomers. Behind the scenes, Michele assists FCR with her design and organization skills.
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As a lifelong swimmer and endurance athlete, I still learn something new every time I swim or compete with French Creek Racing. It puts me in touch with a community of athletes that helps me reach my goals. I’m a former D1 and current U.S. Masters swimmer still grinding it out in the pool, the Schuylkill River, and in oceans and lakes around the world. You might also catch me in the middle of the pack in a marathon or triathlon.
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I competed in my first French Creek racing event in 2023 swimming the 5k in the Frozen Hare 2. Since then I have competed in Delaware State Championships, Open Water Series, and Fall SwimFest. I enjoy the community surrounding French Creek Racing and the positive messages that come from endurance sport.
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Rob is from Philadelphia and has a competitive swimming background. He was an All-American and 1984 US Olympic Trials qualifier at the University of South Carolina where he was a grad asst. coach. More recently Rob is a top 10 US Masters swimmer and defending SCM sprint Nation Champion in Freestyle and Backstroke. Rob is a founding Board member of the iSwim4 Foundation which helps people recover from alcohol and substance abuse disorders via swimming and fellowship.
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Lelané (Lanie), was born and raised on the east coast of South Africa. Although she did not grow up swimming competitively, Lanie decided to join a masters swim group in 2007 and since then hasn’t looked back! Having to swim in the cold Atlantic ocean, Lanie’s love for cold water swimming grew fast. Lanie has been living in the USA since 2009 & currently resides in Newark, DE with her hubby Jay. Lanie taught swim lessons and coached swim team at her local YMCA for 8 years. Lanie is currently pursuing her degree in Textile design & Printmaking. She is an avid member at the Newark Arts Alliance where she also teaches Linocut printmaking classes. When Lanie isn’t swimming, painting or baking, she likes to cheer on her fellow athletic friends and celebrate their achievements with them! She looks forward to being an ambassador for French Creek Racing in 2024 where she hopes to create a nurturing environment for all athletes.
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Life long swimmer who grew up swimming in the St. Lawrence River. I’ve been swimming with FCR for over 10 years.
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Prior to entering triathlons I primarily cycled and dabbled in running completing a self supported half marathon. 2024 I entered my first 70.3, and 5k swim.
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I grew up playing a variety of sports and fell in love with running in high school getting in shape for the basketball season. After some injuries running in college I found biking and later swimming thanks to a summer lifeguarding job which led to completing my first triathlon. Over the last decade it’s been incredible to reach new milestone’s in triathlon and find the French Creek community. During the pandemic I started swimming with French Creek at outdoor pool sessions and I’ve never loved swimming more thanks to this great group!
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Logan & Olivia were introduced to French Creek Racing this past spring thru their winter swim coaches. They fell in love with the sport and the people involved in it.
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Swimming for over 50 years, regular at the Steelman OWS, and American Cancer Society Bike-a-thon(28 years). Married with two adult children, living in Harleysville, PA.
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I was always a runner – but in 2006, due to rehabbing from an ankle injury, I borrowed a ‘huffy’ bike and rode for bit. Then, I saw an ad for triathlon and I thought, that sounds like fun, all I have to do is add swimming – how hard can that be.
Turns out that swimming was my nemesis, I didn’t really have a clue on how to swim and every race was a fearful experience. However, I liked the spirit of triathlon and continued to do a few more races. After a couple of years my swim fears took over and I stepped away and decided to return to running only.
Ten years of running on pavement eventually wore down my knees and forced me to opt for indoor gyms– even though I loved being outside. When the gym closed during the pandemic I was introduced to French Creek Racing and I returned to the pool – outside.
French creek changed my entire perspective – I fell in love with swimming (especially at dawn) and with the community of swimmers and triathletes. I even returned to triathlon no longer fearing the swim.
For me swimming was more than keeping fit, it taught me lessons on perseverance, time, competition, focus and community. It was both an invigorating exercise and a meditative experience, a solo challenge and a team effort. I am proud to be an ambassador for this incredible group and strongly encourage people of all ages and abilities to swim with us in this supportive and welcoming community. I would never have called myself a swimmer till I became part of FCR; these days that is a deep part of who I am.
Experience:
As a lifelong swimmer and competitor from the Philadelphia area, I maintained my passion for the sport throughout my Engineering studies at Temple University. In 2021, I joined FCR at the recommendation of fellow swimmer and FCR coach-Jim Ryan. My journey from competitive swimming to becoming part of the FCR community represents my continued gratitude to the sport and my appreciation for quality coaching and team environments.
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