This week’s Ambassador Award goes to Jacki Shupe! Jacki is an active participant in Team Ortho Foundation events as well as a loyal and dedicated volunteer. As a thank you to Jacki, we will reward her with a Team Ortho fleece.

TO: How did you first become active in Team Ortho events?

JFS: My first interaction with Team Ortho was last year’s duathlon. A friend suggested it and it was a nice way to wrap up the summer. The event was my favorite of the year. It was a well organized, high energy, beautiful race.

TO: How long have you been running and participating in running/biking events?

JS: I have jogged all my life but ran my first race, a half marathon, in 2007. I was hooked and have participated in other various running races, triathlons, and duathlons since that time.

TO: What is the most satisfying part of volunteering?

JS: Volunteering for me is very social. I have met lots of new people with interests similar to mine at Ortho events. If you race often you probably know that not everyone wants to hear about your next race or training schedule. What a treat it is to have a group of friends that love to talk at length about these types of things! It’s also a great way to learn from others and stay motivated.

TO: What is it about Team Ortho that makes you want to volunteer your time to our foundation?

JS: As I understand it, Team Ortho wants to offer events throughout the year that will give people of all fitness levels a reason to keep moving as health and fitness go hand in hand. Not long ago I had the opportunity to have a conversation with John Larson about this. I feel that this foundation has done great things for so many people. Each person participating in an Ortho foundation event has found a reason to move and has taken a step towards better health.

TO: Do you have any recommendation on how to recruit people to have an active lifestyle?

JS: Lack of knowledge about races might be the scariest part of signing up for your first race. You don’t know what to expect. A person may have no idea of how to train. Many do not know what happens before, during, or after a race. I know that this is where I was in the beginning. My only recommendation is to continue to communicate and offer good accessibility to people that can answer questions and give advice. The training sessions offered for the marathon are a perfect example of this.