Hi! I'm Elissa. I'm a serial triathlete and reluctant runner. When I'm not training for my next race, you can find me teaching others how to make savvy real estate decisions (I'm a Realtor), at a local restaurant letting my food get cold because I'm taking too many pictures and videos, or walking my two golden retrievers around Del Ray, Alexandria. I have always made a point to encourage and help others, and as I've gone through my various life and fitness experiences I've come to realize I have a passion for helping others reach their goals.

I swam competitively for 9 years during grade school and have maintained a love of swimming my entire life. I was never particularly fast, but that didn't matter to me because I was more concerned with racing myself. 

I'm not sure exactly what led me to aspire to be a triathlete, but I'm always up for a challenge. In 2018 I completed my first sprint triathlon, and at the time my goal was just finishing the race to prove to myself that I could do it. Not only did I finish, but I had fun doing it! My relationship with running at the time was not great though and I ended up walking more than I wanted to. It was after that race that I decided that I needed to change that.

In 2021 after an interesting covid story (with lots of life changes) I had the opportunity to coach a local Alexandria summer swim team. This was my first experience with coaching, and it was through that experience that I realized just how much I love helping others be 1% better every day. 

Flash forward to 2022. I knew I wanted to get back to triathlons, but I still had to figure out running. I had decided to refocus on my running goals and signed up for one of Coach D's running reboots. During that reboot I was able to reset my mindset and realize that while I don't naturally love running, I am still a runner. I wanted to love running, and I wanted to be able to complete triathlons without dying on the run and step up to an olympic distance triathlon. I also wanted to not only prove to myself that I could do it, but also inspire others like me who need that voice to say "heck yes you can."

That summer I crushed my second sprint triathlon and decided this was definitely my thing. I also continued to focus on my relationship with running after that which led to completing a 5 miler in November 2022 and then my goals kept elevating from there. In 2023 I completed my third spring triathlon, and in November of 2023 I ran my first half marathon.  

Now my first olympic distance triathlon is set for 2024 and in 2025 my goal is to complete my first 70.3 (in Hawaii, because why be anywhere else?). 

I firmly believe that we all have what it takes to accomplish our goals and there's magic in supporting and encouraging each other. I'm here to lift others up and use my unique experiences and skills to help athletes of all levels set and reach their goals.