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.

Tina Lount-Pretre

August 2006 Athlete of the Month

Two IMs in 8 weeks is an unusual performance. She was doing shorter races as well, all while taking care of her family and smiling the whole way. A massage at SMI will hopefully relieve some of the stress that she must have (she's human after all).

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

I have spent 15+ years in the High Tech Software Business in positions varying from Professional Services to Product Management. I mostly have worked at start-ups, with Ariba being my biggest success story in the "golden IPO days". Currently, I am a contractor working for a small start-up software company in San Mateo called M-Factor. I am lucky to only have to work 1 day/week in the office and a total of 5-10 hours/week which makes it easier as a Mom and which makes doing triathlons even possible.

Do you have any specific career aspirations?

Not really :) I am happy being a Mom! I'm just trying to stay active in the software industry, keeping my resume as up-to-date as possible, so that when I want to start working full-time again it'll (hopefully) be easier to get a job.

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

Yes, I think most people know my husband Steve Pretre who is a huge support as a Dad, Husband, and personal bike mechanic! He has attended several bike camps this past year as well as both of my Ironman races in Idaho and England despite his crazy 80+hour/week job and non-stop work travel schedule. He used to swim with Menlo Masters and is even responsible for introducing me to the world of triathlons! Unfortunately, his work is too all-consuming right now for him to get much exercise these days.

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?

Hmmm... other hobbies? Just being a Mom. No time for much more. I love to do art projects with the kids. I love to photograph and catalog special moments in my kids' lives. I also have a non-stop need to organize closets and toys in my house (not that anyone could tell!) -- does that count as a hobby?

How did you become involved with Team Sheeper?

Mostly through Steve. When we started dating I was a running "purist" thinking Steve's "long" bike rides were crazy. But he dragged me out to Menlo Masters Swimming when I sustained a lower back and pelvis fracture in March 1998 and I couldn't run at all at the time. I eventually got hooked into the triathlon world. I remember watching Steve do the Pacific Grove triathlon one year and I went and bought a wet suit on a whim, competing in the Sentinel triathlon as my first triathlon the next year. (It wasn't until 2003 that I admitted I was a triathlete instead of a runner!)

What is your athletic background?

I played basketball and soccer a lot as a young child. I switched to running when I was 10 years old and a teacher started a lunch-time running club at my school. I competed in track (1500m, 3000m) and cross country (5K) from that point on, running in high school and then at Harvard University. I avoided the 5K and 10K track events like the plague back then because I thought they were "too long"  now look at me!

What is it you like most about triathlons?

The travel involved, the scenery, the people and fitness lifestyle. Also, the ability to focus on the 3 different sports. I love racing  to me races are very efficient workouts!

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

I will try to focus on running this fall. Mostly, I'll just back off through the Holiday season and then focus on Half Ironman distance next year. I do plan to participate in Treasure Island "just for fun" in November.

What are your Triathlon, or personal goals / aspirations?

My main triathlon goal over the past 4 years has been to do an Ironman before and after every baby  crazy I know. My individual race goal is usually to try to improve my own times from previous years. I love doing all the Tri California races and traveling to at least a couple races each year (with the family). I also would like to go to the World's Short Course Championships one year.

What is your favorite Team Sheeper workout or memorable moment?

The bike camps this past year were really fun and really helped my fitness and cycling skills. I also enjoyed the Ironman Coeur D'Alene training this year, especially the Half Moon Bay 80 mile rides to Davenport and back followed by a brick run along the ocean. Couldn't ask for better scenery!

I guess carrying my bike across a snow-covered mountain top during one bike camp ride with Kelly and Joan, while the guys around us were trying to ride through the snow (in between falls), is probably up there as a most memorable moment! I don't think my hands have ever been as cold as they were on that back-side descent!

Is there anything else we should know about you?

Yes, I'm a Canadian - born and raised mostly in Toronto but I also spent 8 years of my childhood in Edmonton, Alberta. I'm also the youngest of 8 kids and the only one of them living in the United States. Finally, I spent a year right after college in 1990-1991 living in Cairo, Egypt working at the American University of Cairo (during the First Gulf War). It was one of the most amazing and educational experiences of my life.