Kids that Tri

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 Micaela has been an athlete her whole life (varsity teams: crew, swimming, track) and a year-round competitive swimmer since the age of 4.  After graduating from Case in Biomedical Engineering and having her daughter, she knew she wanted to participate in events that would raise money to find a cure for her disease, Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1).  So, she trained and eventually ran her first full marathon, it was exhilarating.  Naturally, she decided it was time for a bigger challenge...Triathlon! 

In the summer of 2019, while being deathly afraid of cycling and a foreigner to her bicycle, she conquered her fears and completed her first sprint, super sprint, and Olympic distance races. Fortunately,  she qualified for Nationals in her sprint event!  Being a member of the Cleveland Triathlon Club (CTC) inspired her to kick it up one more notch and try her hand at a long-distance event.  In 2020 she trained for a Half Ironman and Full Ironman which unfortunately was canceled.  In 2021, she qualified for the World championship in the super sprint and will represent Team USA in 2022. She also completed her first 70.3 and competed at the 70.3 world championship in St. George, Utah. 

She is stoked to mentor and teach the youth in this program.  Her hope is that by "showing up", our youth will feel pride within themselves and motivation to push for greatness.  She is honored as an Afro-Latina woman to help increase inclusion and representation in this great sport and hopefully, to inspire others to shoot for the moon!  

  Debbie has been a Fitness and Food Coach for over 20 years. She is I.S.S.A. certified in personal and group fitness, ballet barre, and nutrition which allows her to coach in a personalized way. She was a marathon runner for many years before becoming a triathlete. Shortly after running the Boston Marathon, she was diagnosed with aggressive cancer. As a celebration of her 5-year remission, she entered triathlons for the challenge and to see what she was capable of doing. She completed Sprints, Olympics, Half Ironman’s, and one Ironman at Lake Placid. Triathlon was just what she needed to train her body and mind to the fullest! Her greatest sport is the sport of not quitting! 

Coaching kids with KTT and serving the community holds a special place in Debbie’s heart. She thrives on seeing the kids develop, gain confidence, and have fun. She likes to bring her skills as a coach and a mentor to the kids so they feel the support and passion KTT provides.  

While not coaching and training, she practices law and enjoys helping others solve problems. Debbie and her husband, Jeff, have 4 sons and the cutest dog ever, Macy Gray who is sometimes spotted at races and other athletic events!

Eric is a USAT Level 1 Certified Coach with a focus on Youth/Junior coaching.

Entering the world of multi-sport racing in 2000, he has raced in all manners and forms of Swim / Bike / Run.  Competing in triathlons ranging from super-sprint to Ironman has kept things interesting with training and racing.  Eric has been a member of the Cleveland Triathlon Club since the clubs' formation in 2003.  Recently he just completed 8 years on the CTC Board and was President of the Club in 2020 - 2021.  The multisport community in Northeast Ohio has provided a lot of inspiration and memories for Eric and he is excited to share the passion of triathlon with the Kids That Tri.   He hopes to show young athletes what triathlon can provide them....motivation, pride, and most of all fun. Eric is fortunate to share the multisport lifestyle with his wife Aimee who is also an Ironman finisher.  They enjoy the travel that accompanies the races so they can see the world.

 Ginny is a USAT Level 1 Certified Coach who has enjoyed training and racing triathlons since 2011. She's been actively involved in the Cleveland Tri Club, formerly vice president, president, and sponsorship chair as well as a coach for the East Side Bike/Run bricks for many years. While on the Board of CTC, she focused on improving diversity and female membership. She has raced all distances of triathlons and also races bikes occasionally for fun.

Ginny loves to help athletes grow through the sport of triathlon and knows the difference it can make in someone's life because she has gone through her own personal health transformation as a result of the opportunities available within the triathlon community of greater Cleveland. She is grateful to help Kids That Tri athletes reach their untapped potential. 

Ginny shares her endurance sports lifestyle with her husband, Bob, who is a triathlete, marathoner, and teacher. She works at Eaton as the Wellness Analyst, helping her fellow employees find ways to be emotionally and physically healthy.  

 Mark is a long-time member of the downtown business community. He found triathlon at the elevated age of 50 and races in half IronMan distance events plus and enjoys sharing his disciplines of swimming, biking, running, strength training, and nutrition with others. He founded a newly reimagined triathlon in downtown Cleveland that took place on August 21, 2021, with the three shortest event distances to attract more people to the sport. 

His passion is seeing new people enter the sport so he’s worked with his network to launch “Kids that Tri” for Cleveland Urban youth with the backing of The Cleveland YMCA and Davis High School. Mark is a graduate of St. Edward High School, Cornell University is a former board member of Notre Dame College in South Euclid