Michelle worked in the health and wellness industry for over twenty years. With a degree in Kinesiology and Health Education, she has worked in health-related roles for a children’s hospital, the American Heart Association, a municipality, and a large national corporation.
In her personal life, Michelle has been a runner since she was twelve years old. She ran track and cross country in high school and returning to running as a hobby in her adult life. Twenty years ago, she stepped back into the competitive world of running, registering for local fun runs and races. She has participated in hundreds of races, from one mile to marathons. She completed the 2016 Houston Marathon fast enough to qualify for the Boston Marathon, which she ran the next year. In 2007, she started USA Fit New Braunfels, a local chapter of a national program. Approximately 20 new and experienced runners joined the program to train and complete the 2008 Austin Marathon and Half Marathon. She continued to support the small group with weekly emails and group runs, and then created the New Braunfels on Foot Facebook page, which has grown to over 600 members who live in New Braunfels and the surrounding area. Because of her passion for running, Michelle would dedicate ten to thirty hours per week to the running group outside of her regular job, coordinating events, assisting people with their training programs, writing newsletters, volunteering at races, hosting educational opportunities, and acting as the hub of information and resources for the local running community. In addition to running- specific activities, Michelle has also been active in the New Braunfels community over the years, serving on the New Braunfels Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, the advisory committee for Das Rec recreation center, and earning the Chair of the Board Award from the New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce for Community Enhancement in recognition of her contributions to the running community.
