Athlete of the Month

The Team Sheeper Athlete of the Month award is handed out to a member of the team on a monthly basis, 7 or 8 times a year. The AOM is someone who made a notable contribution to the team or did something remarkable. Selection is made by nomination and voting by the membership.

You can nominate anyone and the nomination period is usually during the first week or two of the month. Look for notification that nominations are being sought.  When nomination close, the voting starts and once all the votes are tallied, the new AOM is crowned.

Besides bragging rights for a month, our AOM gets some goodies from our gracious sponsors, such as free shoes from TRH, a massage from SMI, gift certificates from GoRide.

SMI is proud to sponsor this month's athlete who embodies the spirit of Team Sheeper. SMI is a non-profit public benefit corporation dedicated to the prevention and treatment of overuse injuries, optimization of human function and enhancement of athletic performance.

Michele Santilhano

June 2010 Athlete of the Month

"Solo RAAM. More women have been to the top of Mt. Everest than accomplished what Michele just did."
"...finished RAAM - Solo Woman - 2nd place! WOW!"
"Amazing. Just amazing."
- Fellow Teammates.

What did you want to be when you were growing up?

A kindergarten teacher.

Do you have a spouse or children or pets to tell us about?

Work in progress!!!  I accept all help in this area. I love energetic dogs that enjoy trail and beach running and swimming.

What other hobbies do you have?

Mountaineering and adventure racing

How did you become involved with Team Sheeper?

In 2007, Elspeth I met after a noon workout. Lorraine was through a mutual swimming buddy. Lorraine Sneed and Elspeth Farmer need to get all the credit.

What is your athletic background?

I was not generally athletic as a school or college student. I dabbled in a variety of outdoor and multisport activities. My endurance fun started in Cape Town, SA with trail running and continued to expand once I met the Sheeper team.

What motivates/inspires you?

The children I work with who overcome their daily fears to the challenges of various cancer conditions.

Athletes who exercise their chosen discipline with natural skill, style, speed & humility; especially within the triathlon sports. Also there are so many individuals on Team Sheeper who are inspiring.

What races are you planning for the remainder of this year, or the future, that you are gearing up for?

There is lots of fun out there. The following are some of the fun on my dream list:

1. Kona still needs to be done( Those who know me, know I plan to do it as part of a larger project)
2. The IUTA world cup/challenge series (google it for details)
3. Racing the Planet Series (if I can find a good sponsor).
4. The Iditasport in Alaska in Febuary 20.

What is your favorite Tim Sheeper workout or memorable moment?

The Grinder series always provide a lot of memories. The fun endurance challenges that Tim creates like the 10k swim challenge & Santa Barbara Camp climbing Gibralta.

What is your favorite race?

I have so many wonderful memories of a variety of races. I think actually Vineman in 2007. I will never forget Susan Mc Glennon's smile as I threw her my cycling gloves while on the run. I love multisport and anything from Half ironman distance upwards usually has a lot of stories and memories associated. 

What would you choose as your last meal?

Salmon, broccoli and brown rice is my usual standard pre race meal that generally fuels me well and what I had the night before raam this year.  I love fruit and it will generally accompany any meal.