As you may know, Kristin Metcalf (aka KMet), is the Oiselle team manager. She is so passionate about the sport of running and follows each team member as they chase their dreams. Each triumph, PR, starting line, injury, comeback, DNF, goal crushed.... Kristin is the first to cheer or console. I can't imagine what the team would be without her.
Each OIselle team member is recounting their 2012, the memories that stand out, and here is Kristin's:
I look back over 2012 and am in awe of the time that has flown by and the amount of cool things that I have experienced in the Oiselle world. At the beginning of the year I was a Oiselle newbie myself – four months into being the team manager and amazed by the awesome group of 50 women that I had the privilege of getting to know as they represented Oiselle in the running world.
Three events over the next six months energized HQ,, our team members and myself. First in January Sally and Sarah went to the US Olympic Trials Marathon in Houston. Their experience watching the Trials and sharing it via Twitter and our blog infused inspiration and energy into all of our runners.
Secondly, preparing for the US Track and Field Trials in Eugene in June gave many of our runners focus and purpose. A group of more than 25 team members from across the country planned on meeting Oiselle in Eugene to watch the Trials, cheer on our newly coined Oiselle Trials Trio of Kate Grace, Collier Lawrence, and Jamie Cheever, and celebrate the whole experience at our Totally Trials Fashion Show.
This experience not only reinforced all of our loves for the sport of Track and Field, but showed everyone of our runners that dreams can come through with hard work, dedication and support from an awesome community. By the time the Trials finished our goals for our team of 100 women became more focused; our group of 25 Elites were inspired and pumped for another year of racing and representing Oiselle. Our group of 75 Ambassadors were infused with even more dedication and vigor than they already had for training, racing and spreading Oiselle love across the country.
From a team goal perspective the next six months would be time spent adding 50 new members and supporting our existing 100 member team well; sending them Fall Kits, watching fall XC races, half marathon and marathon planning, witnessing team meetup’s across the country and in awe daily of the support our team gives each other via twitter and through their blogs.
With the new team page upon us, we were able to celebrate each other’s race accomplishments on our own website! This added a home base for all of us to look for our group’s upcoming races and celebrate the previous weekends’ race accomplishments.
After going to the Running Event in Austin and seeing our incredible sales team at work and getting the bigger picture of what they do, I was struck with how many cool things I had experienced over the course of 2012. Surrounded by co-workers who inspire me daily, team members across the country who are amazingly talented, dedicated, supportive and enthusiastic about running, and lastly I felt fortunate for the 150 team of women who want to represent Oiselle and love wearing this awesomely cool apparel that allows us to Fly! I can’t wait to see what great things happen in 2013!
