Alicia

Bio

I was born and raised in Bellingham, WA and got into running when I was 19 because my dad ran a 1/2 marathon and if he could do it then so could I! When I got sober on December 27, 2015, I used running to help manage my sobriety. Running and sobriety go hand in hand that if you focus on putting in the work day to day over time you will see improvements. Some days were harder than others, but I kept putting one foot in front of the other. In my sobriety I became more consistent with running, and I discovered the trail and ultra marathon world, and I was hooked. In 2023 I completed my longest race yet, the Cocodona 250-mile ultra marathon in Arizona. People always ask me, “Why do you run so far?” My answer is simple. I LOVE spending time outdoors and in the mountains. I have had so much fun exploring the trails within Whatcom County and the longer I run the more I get to see and explore. We have amazing trails in Whatcom County, and I love that there is a trail out there for anyone at any level. If you need a recommendation on a good trail to hike or run in Whatcom County, I’m your person to ask! When I’m not training, I work as a Physical Therapist Assistant in Bellingham, and coach runners with Team RunRun. I also enjoy time with family, friends, and Dairy Queen blizzards!

Proudest Accomplishment:

Finishing 3rd at Moab 240 Mile Endurance Run

Dale

Bio

I was born and raised in Bellingham, WA and I never really want to leave. I was active in sports my entire life and I got into running when I was 36 to stay active because some of the other sports were getting harder to find options for. I have grown to love it and the last few years I have been trying out the local Triathlons and Swimruns and I really like these races. I enjoy cycling, hiking, mountain trail running, swimming, fishing, and paddle boarding. My favorite activity is probably trail running but I really enjoy anything that gets me in the trails or on the water.

I have been married for 17 years and we have 3 kids. I enjoy coaching all three kids in their various sports so that keeps me quite busy when I’m not working. If I’m not working or playing with the family, you can probably find me in the Cascades running around, Fishing in the San Juans, or Paddling in one of the local lakes.

Favorite Local Place To Train

Stewart Mountain is my go to for running, Galbraith for mountain biking, and Padden for swimming!

Eric

Bio

Hi! My name is Eric Olsen and I’m a 22-year-old mountain biker from Bellingham WA. You’ll most often find me on the local trails; riding with friends, filming, training, coaching, or helping someone with a trailside bike repair. When I’m not on my bike you’ll find me designing and manufacturing bike parts for my brand Jank Components or picking up gear at Fanatik Bike Co. I love our mountain bike community in Bellingham and I try to give back as much as possible to Vamos Outdoors Project and Galbraith Gravity Racing.

Favorite Local Races

The Whatcom World Cup!!

Jessica

Bio

I am a mom, wife, dentist, outdoor enthusiast, and endurance sports addict who has lived in Bellingham for 25 years. Though triathlon is my focus and also enjoy mountain, gravel and road biking, downhill and cross country skiing, trail running and hiking, and even kayaking. I like to be outside as much as possible and to have my family participate in all my endurance fun. Besides work and sport I spend a lot of time cheering on my 2 teenage sons who play competitive high school sports year round. I love to travel and have been to a lot of beautiful places, yet I’m always happy to get home because I think the Pacific Northwest is the best place to live.

Favorite Local Place to Train

Lake Padden

Wilson

Bio

Growing up here in Bellingham I always loved the outdoors, but I wasn’t much of an athlete until (by complete chance) I raced the kayak leg of the Ski to Sea my sophomore year of High School. I was really, really slow that year, but apparently something stuck because I immediately started building my own team for the next year and figuring out how to actually train for a paddling race. From there I quickly discovered Surfski and Sprint Kayak paddling and they quickly took over my life.

Proudest Race Accomplish

Travis

Bio

I was born in Africa, crazy enough, but unfortunately, the times in Zimbabwe weren’t great and my family had to basically flee to Ireland. Growing up in Ireland back then, meant that I had to learn to love soccer, or football as I call it. It soon became all that I ever wanted to do. After moving to the States during high school, I had just enough talent to compete at the college level. However,  during that time, I couldn’t get enough of sports in general and wanted to do every fitness event around. From 5kms, Tough mudders, and Marathons to Rock Climbing and Skiing in Colorado, I was addicted to heavy breathing. All I wanted to do was train. Then, after doing my first triathlon, I found the perfect sport that gave me the excuse to train all the time. So, I’ve slowly weaned off of soccer and am now a full-on triathlon addict, looking to compete at the highest level. From that addiction was born a Youtube channel called TheDailyTri, where I create videos around professional triathlon racing and where I hope to document more of my triathlon journey. The dream is to build enough of an audience and community to make it a full-time job. I’m halfway there as I now write for Triathlete Magazine and soon will be publishing my own triathlon website.

Favorite Place To Train

Lake Samish!

Follow Travis on Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/46352535

And tiktok at: https://www.tiktok.com/@thedailytri

Nicole

Bio

I moved to Whatcom County in 2008 and work as a DPT at Lynden Family Physical Therapy specializing in sports and running injuries. I am an assistant coach for both cross country and track at Lynden Christian High School and coach adults online. I am a member of the local club team the Bellingham Distance Project and I love to mentor and train with other runners.  After many years of road marathons, I switched to primarily trail running and focuses on 50k-100k distances. With my road & track background I prefer smooth, buttery singletrack over rugged mountain terrain.

Favorite Local Race

Chuckanut 50k!

Ethan

Bio

I grew up playing every sport I could get my hands on from age two all the way through my last day at UW (Go Dawgs!). Then, just like that, all aspects of competition in my life vanished: no more structure, no more outlet. As a very competitive individual, I stumbled into endurance sports not long after. One October day in the fall of 2020, I set out alone to see if I could burn 10,000 calories in one day. I biked my first ever century, swam my first ever mile, ran more than I ever had (20 miles), and was quoted as saying “I will never ever do that again.” upon completion.

Three months later my friend pointed out that I had come close to an Ironman and should have done more. I challenged him to do it with me, like a fool, claiming that maybe an Ironman is too easy and we should make it harder. So, like fools do, we decided to do it! And to add an additional 0.6 miles of swimming, 2 hour H.I.I.T. workout, and 6 mile mountain bike ride. Before training began, an idea started forming. I realized that if I was going to do it again, I may as well do some good with it. That day, my fundraiser was born.

Fast forward to 2024, and I’ve now completed 3 years of fundraising and calorie-burning. My fundraiser, Hunger vs Hunger has raised over $140,000 for the Bellingham Food Bank, and I’ve averaged 11,929 calories burned during my event days. I’ll continue Hunger vs Hunger as long as I can and am excited to see how it goes this summer! If you own/run a local business and want to join as a sponsor for the event, feel free to reach out.

When I’m not training or fundraising, I’m working as a Managing Broker at Bellwether Real Estate.

Favorite Local Race

Ski to Sea!

Fundraiser info: www.ethanhunger.com/hungervshunger

Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/ethan_hunger