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.

The Runner's High is proud to sponsor this month's athlete who embodies the spirit of Team Sheeper. We are about more than just improving athletic skills and performances.

Kirsten Kempe

September 2006 Athlete of the Month

This comment from teammate Tanya pretty sums up what all are saying about Kirsten's year: "Kirsten has had an amazing season and has been improving, it seems, with almost every race. She's been a real inspriration and defines the AOM spirit!". Read on to learn a bit about Kirsten.

Are you currently employed and/or describe your employment/career?

I am currently employed at LifeScan, Inc. in Milpitas. I have been with the company over nine years. I manage clinical studies.

Do you have any specific career aspirations?

To retire before 65.

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

Bob and I are in the process of remodeling our newly purchased home in Mountain View.

We have two fantastic kids: Kyra (4) is a vivacious bundle of energy and Justin (15 months) is a walking and climbing machine obsessed with water and balls. Both of them are great fun.

What other hobbies do you have?

In addition to anything athletic, I love to organize (if you can call that a hobby or just being obsessive). And I love to travel especially to Asia.

How did you become involved with Team Sheeper?

Tina introduced me to Team Sheeper two years ago. Thank you Tina!

What is your athletic background?

Swimming, field hockey, and tennis growing up as a kid. While in graduate school, I start to run for exercise. I ran my first marathon (St. Louis) in 1996 and I was hooked. I just love to run.

What is it you like most about triathlons?

The training.

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

Currently I'm training for the World 70.3 Championship in Clearwater, FL. I hope to qualify and run the Boston Marathon in April. Bob and I are also looking forward to the UK 70.3 race in June. Then it's off to Italy for some exploring. Maybe I'll find a 10K that we can run.

What are your Triathlon, or personal goals / aspirations?

I want to continue having fun and stay free of injuries.

What is your favorite Team Sheeper workout or memorable moment?

The Ultimate Run is the best ... challenging, beautiful, and I have yet to descend on the same trails.