2016 - A Year in Review

We are closing out another awesome year at Evolve-

There really is no way to sum up in one post what an incredible year this has been for the team, and the crazy part is that we are looking at an even better - dare I say WAY more awesome 2017!

Here's what made 2016 fabulous - or just a few reasons ... 

The team grew and in a way that we could not be more proud of - we watched as new athletes joined and not only grew personally, but also helped the growth of their peers. Friendships were formed and new and more seasoned team members shared their experiences with one another. The former athletes took newer ones under their wings and offered guidance. And the mutual benefit came in the form of assisting one another - after all one of the best way to learn something is to teach it - by being able to teach and share with newer athletes - every athlete benefited. This is a coaching dream! When you become a coach you want to see gains for your athletes, but when you can see gains and also see how those gains are shared and others learn and benefit from them, there is truly no better feeling on planet earth. This is how it is supposed to work in theory, but often gets lost in practice - suffice it to say that nothing was lost for Team Evolve! 

We added some really awesome new coaches! This makes me so very happy... now I have colleagues!!!  It's so awesome to have a group of strong individuals to share ideas with, celebrate with, work alongside and plot and scheme for the future with. The other wonderful part is the diversity of our coaches, in terms of their personalities and skill sets. We have a group of coaches who work really well together, but can bring new ideas and insights to the table for all of our athletes! 

We had some of the best performances to date for many if not most of our athletes.  We had soooo many PRs - at all distances. It is amazing to watch as athletes just keep on pushing, learning and excelling. 2016 was a year of many first times - Iron men and women were made, Half iron men and women too, as well as some first time triathletes, a first time long distance canoer, and runners. One of the coolest parts of coaching is standing on the side lines at a race and watching it all come together. There are no words for this feeling. And we spent many awesome hours cheering as our athletes rocked their performances whether it was their first time at that distance or one of many! 

We had another great year working with Maplewood Bicycle. The staff there continually take care of our athletes and of course a special thanks to Tim Ray and his ability to get our athletes their perfect bike fit which makes all the difference in their ability to be comfortable on the bike and on the run! 

We could go on and on about how awesome 2016 was - instead here are some of our favorite images that capture the essence of the year!