If you are at all involved with open water swimming in Santa Barbara, you surely know Kelly.

Kelly is not currently very active in triathlon but she has a distinguished history. She was a star runner in high school in Oregon and was sponsored as a sophomore by Nike for two years with free shoes and running gear, and they paid the fees for 5k and 10k races as long as she improved. She won several races during this period. Kelly was running up to 70 miles a week and eventually badly injured a hamstring. Nike ended its support, and Kelly took up cycling as she recovered.

In college at Oregon State University in Corvallis, injuries persisted which impacted Kelly’s running, but she found the triathlon club there as one of the only two women and got involved in the sport. She raced her first triathlon in 1986 and did various events in Oregon and Washington with her team, and in Idaho during summer work. In 1988 Kelly spent a year in Sydney, Australia, with a great triathlon community with numerous races, and had a great time being in a foreign country.

Kelly graduated college in 1990 and moved to Hawaii’s Big Island to be resort manager. She lived in Waikaloa, about a half-hour drive from Kona. Swimming was great there, of course and she swam daily with the turtles. Her first long distance triathlon was the Captain Cook Half-Ironman. About 60 athletes lined up to swim across Captain Cook Bay with the dolphins. There was a considerable hike up the hill to the transition. During the bike segment a police officer was encouraging Kelly to drop out, and she came in last. Embarrassing, but leaving room improvement. In 1992, she got a promotion with Hyatt and moved to Maui. Less of a triathlon community there, but lots of mountain biking and rough water swimming. She competed in a 6-mile swim there and started adventure racing and kayaking.

In 1993 Kelly was promoted again and moved to Santa Barbara to work at the 4 Seasons Biltmore. After another 5 years of working at fancy hotels, she changed careers and started as a personal trainer and massage therapist.  She has also worked as a kayaking instructor and guide. She first joined the triathlon club 1995, or maybe 1996. She has done the Vineman Half and Wildflower and other shorter races with the club, and has really enjoyed the group atmosphere, and evenings by the lake. In 2006, Kelly did Ironman Canada in Penticton with her friend Kristine. Her brother was up there to see her, the first time a family member had come to one of her races.

Kelly has participated in most of the open water competitions that take place around Santa Barbara, such as Reef & Run and the Semana Nautica events. Her favorite was the Running of the Guards in which 25-40 Participants swim-run-swim from East Beach to Carpinteria.  About 11 swims and 12 miles of run/swimming. 

Unfortunately over the years Kelly has had several serious run-ins with cars, including an incident while riding in Ojai, preparing for IM Canada. These have left her hips in suboptimal condition.

Kelly has hopes of competing in a triathlon this year for her 40th anniversary. She can be found most weeks throughout the year, swimming with the fish at Butterfly or East Beach.