this is worth celebrating ......
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VIRGIN ACTIVE HEALTH CLUBS
Introducing Team Freespeed Virgin Active's Newest Member
by Team Freespeed
The mission statement for Team Freespeed Virgin Active is to inspire triathletes of all levels to be the best they can be whilst retaining a balanced work, family and social life. To date this has been achieved by supporting high performing amateur athletes who all work full time and excel in their respective careers.
At the start of 2013 we decided to search for a new member of the team who could inspire in a different way, not necessarily by race results but by simply being inspirational.
We put the word out through triathlon media and Virgin Active member channels and received a fantastic response – a mix of first time triathletes, improving novices and triathletes who, on another day, have the race cv to potentially make the team by virtue of performance.
We formulated our ‘wish list’ – a well written entry, ability to inspire, visibility and influence – and then set about sifting through the applications.
One name kept leaping out at us throughout the process – Kate Driskell.
Kate’s entry – “Obese and unfit, found triathlon at 37. Built to Ironman but massive crash! 40 now and working to regain confidence and skill. Love to share joy and the journey.” – caught our attention immediately. Here was somebody who has made a positive life change through sport and specifically through triathlon.
We then looked at Kate’s social media presence – very active on facebook and twitter and with an interesting timeline, a snapshot of someone with a passion for triathlon but also a full, healthy and balanced life beyond sport. In short, Kate is the perfect ambassador for our sponsors.
Finally, and importantly, Kate engaged with the competition beyond simply entering. She retweeted our messages, shared the competition details on facebook (even though she was potentially reducing her chances of winning) and just showed a desire to be a part of the team that was infectious.
There was only ever one winner – Kate Driskell, welcome to Team Freespeed Virgin Active!
