Western States Application Essay
I am an underdog.
I am an underdog with a wide smile, gusto and a positive attitude, but for all my optimism and beatitudes, I toe the line of many races I am not expected to finish. I hit walls, plow into obstacles and often find myself in over my head.
In the past year, I married the love of my life and began my full-time adventure into parenting. When I first met my two new bonus kids they emptied a soda can on my head and tried to push me out of a moving vehicle. I sat many a nights with my now wife, Jessy, talking about integrating our family and she often looked at me with trepidation, “Are you sure you’re ready?” Now they call me “Kel Kel” and we can not imagine a day with out each other.
I have also spent the previous six months striving to move forward in my career. I work for Whole Foods Market, which is a job I actively sought after leaving the commercial banking industry for a career that was more health oriented and personally fulfilling. I originally intended to work in the vitamin department, but could only get an interview as a parking lot attendant. I pushed carts for 6 months then rang groceries for almost a year before a spot opened in supplements. I was hired into Whole Body as have grown to be an assistant manager of the department and have been actively trying to move to the corporate level of leadership. I have applied and gotten interviews for three positions, though each time I have been told, “your attitude and personality are great! But you just don’t have quite the experience we were hoping for.”
I am a musician who has spent countless hours preparing for auditions and sit in’s only to be told my sight-reading wasn’t quite accurate enough, intonation slightly off or not the right style fit.
I will keep trying to move forward in my career. I will work every day to be a good wife and parent. My love of music will never fade and through it all, running and being in the ultra community has been and will continue to be a constant source of redemption. Through periods of growth and with trail running, the underdog is not just given a pat on the back, they are celebrated and supported just as much, if not more than, the elites or those who effortlessly knock out mile after mile.
When I can tell Jessy and the kids how I felt lost and sad around mile 50, but found hope through a peanut butter sandwich and some electrolytes a few miles later, it brings inspiration and joy to them and purpose to me. When we can laugh about creatures or events from the trail and the kids get excited about spending time in the woods, my heart tells me that I am doing it right.
I began running when I was ten, with my Dad. He ran a 10K every year on his birthday to make sure he wasn’t getting too old. I started out following him on these runs on my bike until he let me join him on foot. I grew up running the West Virginia mountain trails around my home and high school and when I came to Texas for college, continued my athletic career with cycling and triathlon. As a collegiate athlete, I competed in USAT Nationals, once representing the University of North Texas and once as a solo athlete.
I found the trail running community just over a year ago by doing the Cross Timbers Marathon. It was one of the hardest races of my life as I was cocky and there were hills. A LOT of hills. I absolutely loved it. I spent the next several months training for the other Active Joe races as well as many others in Colorado, Oklahoma and all over Texas. As I grew over each tree root, rocky crag and ascent, I found family among the runners.
Since entering the ultra world, I have had the pleasure of crewing Dale Cougat through Badwater 135, volunteering for the Active Joe at Cross Timbers, done sweep cycling for Tatur Racing’s Midnight Madness, and learned the art of trail clearing for Rough Creek. These have all been wonderful experiences that were different from my time with road running and triathlon where I coached the Colleyville Kids triathlon club, was a Run-On certified run coach, Cooper Institute Certified Personal Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor.
I want to put myself before yet another wall, prepare to hit many new obstacles, and dive in deep with my head underwater and undertake the adventure that is the Western States Endurance Run. I want to do this to show my step children that we can always keep growing as athletes and as people, to share a life changing experience with my wife, and prove to all the athletes I have known across many different disciplines of sport, that it’s okay to be an underdog. It’s okay to not always win, as long as you lead with your whole heart.
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