Meet the 2023 USA Triathlon Foundation Ambassador Team

January 12, 2023

Made up of multisport athletes who have a passion for giving back to their communities, the USA Triathlon Foundation Ambassador Team embodies the goals of the USA Triathlon Foundation: to support and promote the virtues of triathlon, and to open pathways for all to swim, bike, and run.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – The 2023 USA Triathlon Foundation Ambassador Team will feature 90 ambassadors, the Foundation announced today, making up a passionate, nationwide community committed to both fundraising and advocacy for the USA Triathlon Foundation, the sport and multisport communities.

The ambassadors include some of the top age group athletes in the nation and come from across the United States and bring a diverse set of experiences and backgrounds in the sport. The USA Triathlon Foundation Ambassador Team embodies the goals of the USA Triathlon Foundation: to support and promote the virtues of triathlon, and to open pathways for all to swim, bike, and run.

“Our ambassadors are vital to furthering the Foundation’s mission, driving our fundraising efforts and making an impact in local communities across the United States,” said Lindsay Welker, Foundation Development and Program Assistant Manager for the USA Triathlon Foundation. “This year’s strong and enthusiastic team brings a diversity of age, abilities and experience within the sport and includes several returning ambassadors who have had an impact on the USA Triathlon Foundation Ambassador Team since its launch in 2019. We are so grateful for the entire team’s passion and support and are excited to see the impact they will have on the sport they love in 2023.”

Since the Ambassador Team’s inception in 2019, the group has raised more than $200,000 in support of the Foundation’s three pillars — encouraging youth participation, inspiring pathways to access and inclusion, and igniting Olympic and Paralympic dreams.

The 2023 Ambassador Team has a goal of raising $100,000 and ambassadors are asked to raise a minimum of $1,000 each for the USA Triathlon Foundation. That funding will go toward deserving individuals and organizations in the multisport community in support of the foundation’s three pillars.

The leadership team for the 2023 Foundation Ambassadors Team includes Chair Rosalind Jarrett Sepulveda (Los Angeles, Calif.); Vice Chair John Anthony (East Lyme, Conn.); Secretary David Wilson (Tampa, Fla.); Engagement Officer Samantha Rothberg (Southampton, N.Y.) and Fundraising Officer Lisa Thomas (Houston, Texas).

Ambassadors will have the opportunity to connect and form a community with fellow ambassadors via bi-monthly town halls, happy hours and coffee meetups at USA Triathlon Multisport National Championships Festival, Legacy Triathlon and USA Triathlon Nationals. Ambassadors will kick off the year Jan. 23-26 in Austin, Texas, with a happy hour at Endurance Exchange Presented by BOA, USA Triathlon’s premier in-person endurance sports industry conference.

Throughout the season, ambassadors will also share the mission and vision of the foundation through personal stories on their social media channels and in their local communities.

To learn more details about the Ambassador Team program, visit the USA Triathlon Foundation webpage here. Interested athletes can still join the 2023 ambassador team by clicking here.

For more information about the ambassador team, to become an ambassador, or to donate to the USA Triathlon Foundation, visit usatriathlonfoundation.org.

2023 USA Triathlon Foundation Ambassador Team

John Anthony (East Lyme, Conn.) *

Kimee Armour (Auburn, Ill.)

Joella Baker (Harmony, Pa.)

Julianna Batizy-Morley (Highlands Ranch, Colo.)

Lorrie Beck (Williamstown, N.J.)

Allyson Bennett (Elkins Park, Pa.)

Lyndze Blosser (Grand Rapids, Mich.)

Peter Boncelet (Naples, Fla.)

Christian Botting (Boulder, Colo.)

William Brent (Emmaus, Pa.)

Joni Briganti (Spotsylvania, Va.)

Esmeralda Carr (McKinney, Texas)

Maryann Carrero (Chicago, Ill.)

Tanakorn Cheeptumrong (Bangkok, Thailand)

Carol Coram (Seattle, Wash.)

Leah DeKalb (Argyle, Texas)

Chris DeRienzo (Wake Forest, N.C.)

Steve Doinidis (Aptos, Calif.)

Monica Doval (Plantation, Fla.)

Sean Downes (Morristown, N.J.)

Johanna Downs (Hampstead, N.C.)

Mark Drangsholt (Seattle, Wash.)

Markus Ernst (Colorado Springs, Colo.)

Susan Felicissimo (Thornton, Colo.)

Carlos Fernandez (Winter Garden, Fla.)

Stephanie Fernandez (Winter Garden, Fla.)

Nate Fillers (North Logan, Utah)

Jamie Fuhrman (Chicago, Ill.)

Justin Grand (Phillipsburg, N.J.)

Erika Griffith (Odenton, Md.)

Chip Grizzard (Palm Coast, Fla.)

Susan Haag (Jacksonville, Fla.)

Scott Harder (Mill Creek, Wash.)

Suzy Heffernan (Cutchogue, N.Y.)

Fredricka Holloway (Carol Stream, Ill.)

Rosalind Jarrett Sepulveda (Los Angeles, Calif.)*

Kathie Johnson (Arlington, Va.)

Andy Kelsey (Irving, Texas)

Jim Lane (Liberty Lake, Wash.)

Melissa Langworthy (Denver, Colo.)

Asher Lauderdale (Allen, Texas)

Steve Lovelace (Edmond, Okla.)

Natalie Lutz (Hockessin, Del.)

Dave Mandelkern (Hillsborough, Calif.)

Aaron Marks (Sandy, Utah)

Tyler Mastello (Lutz, Fla.)

Jude McCarthy (Dallas, Texas)

Laura McCurdy (Centennial, Colo.)

Corey McKenna (Coeur d’Alene, Idaho)

Neal McLaughlin (Centennial, Colo.)

Kim Michael-Lee (Bloomingdale, Ill.)

Joy Miles (Chicago, Ill.)

Alex Montes (Costa Mesa, Calif.)

Mark Kendall Moore (Englewood, Ohio)

Denise Mueller (Encinitas, Calif.)

Claudio Navas (North Bay Village, Fla.)

Shelley Navin (Chicago, Ill.)

Chris Navin (Chicago, Ill.)

Kristen Neimeth (New York, N.Y.)

Melanie Otte (Tampa, Fla.)

Steph Popelar (Elizabeth, Colo.)

Ginger Potts (Sugarloaf Key, Fla.)

Caleb Prewitt (Jacksonville, Fla.)

Alison Raitt (Playa del Rey, Calif.)

Miriam Raviv (Austin, Texas)

Sue Reynolds (Bloominton, Ind.)

Christen Robinson (Fort Worth, Texas)

Charles Rossi (Hamilton, Va.)

Samantha Rothberg (Southampton, N.Y.)*

Jess Saalfield (Washington, D.C.)

Azia Saubers (Parker, Colo.)

Maria Seiler (Rye, N.Y.)

Abigail Silberman (Warminster, Pa.)

Corey Smith (New York, N.Y.)

Michael Smith (Plano, Texas)

Debbie Smulevitz Fratrik (Boynton Beach, Fla.)

Victoria Solis (Fort Myers, Fla.)

Gillian Staudt (Mountain View, Calif.)

David Stone (Pottstown, Pa.)

Cherilyn Suiter (Arlington, Wash.)

Kaitlin Switzer (Canton, Ohio)

Lisa Thomas (Houston, Texas)*

George Van Meter (Lexington, Ky.)

Joshua Vernon (Mendon, Mass.)

Natali Villarruel (Chicago, Ill.)

Alberto Vivas (Houston, Texas)

David Wilson (Tampa, Fla.)*

Christine Wodke (Milwaukee, Wis.)

Steven Worth (Lake Forest, Ill.)

Paul Yankey (Colorado Springs, Colo.)

Jim Young (Lutz, Fla.)

*Leadership Team member

About the USA Triathlon Foundation

The USA Triathlon Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and the charitable arm of USA Triathlon. With its mission to transform lives through sport by providing opportunities to swim, bike and run, the Foundation serves to generate a greater impact on the multisport community through charitable giveback and grants that advance the Foundation’s three pillars: (1) Encourage youth participation; (2) Inspire pathways to access and inclusion; and (3) Ignite Olympic/Paralympic dreams. Since the Foundation was established in 2014, it has impacted the lives of thousands by providing grants to organizations and individuals in pursuit of its mission and pillars to create a healthier United States through triathlon. To learn more about the Foundation and get involved, please visit usatriathlonfoundation.org.

About USA Triathlon

USA Triathlon is proud to serve as the National Governing Body for triathlon, as well as duathlon, aquathlon, aquabike, winter triathlon, off-road triathlon, paratriathlon, and indoor and virtual multisport events in the United States. Founded in 1982, USA Triathlon sanctions more than 4,000 races and connects with more than 400,000 members each year, making it the largest multisport organization in the world. In addition to its work at the grassroots level with athletes, coaches, and race directors — as well as the USA Triathlon Foundation — USA Triathlon provides leadership and support to elite athletes competing at international events, including World Triathlon Championships, Pan American Games and the Olympic and Paralympic Games. USA Triathlon is a proud member of World Triathlon and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC).

– usatriathlon.org –