The first winner of the Team Ortho Ambassador Award is Dan Gierok from Apple Valley! Dan is a strong advocate for Team Ortho Foundation and actively recruits many of his friends and colleagues to our races; especially for the Minneapolis Duathlon. We are excited to hear about his passion for staying healthy and active! So we asked him a few questions about his passion for being active.

TO: How long have you been running and biking?
Dan: My first event was the 2003 Urban Wildland 5k, and my goal was to finish in under 30 minutes. I cranked it up in 2005, when I ran two half marathons. In 2008, I trained for and ran the Twin Cities Marathon. I've pretty much biked my entire life! When I bike today, I'm usually pulling an extra 75 pounds - my kids behind me!

TO: What was your first Team Ortho Foundation race?
Dan: I signed up for the entire 2009 Monster Series when I heard about the Minneapolis Marathon. I've participated in every event since!

TO: Why were you so eager to invite people to the Minneapolis Duathlon?