USA Fit Tampa Bay Coaches
| Green Group | Yellow Group | Red Group | Fall Group | Half Group | Walking Group |
| Click on a color group above to see the list of coaches for that group. | |||||
| About the Organizer | ||
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Pat Brighton swimbikerun4fun@yahoo.com11 years ago at 49, I joined Tampa Bay Fit in order to get in shape to Climb Mountains. I got side tracked when I realized how much fun I could have racing in Florida and never looked back. I was the Red Coach for 7 years and am in my 5th year as a USAT Level 1 Triathlon Coach. My race experience has been the Disney Marathon, Disney Half (twice), Gasparilla Half, Ironman Florida(twice), Ironman World Championship 70.3 and many triathlons of varying distances. My experience as an endurance athlete and coach helps me to assist Tampa Bay Fit members in preparing for and reaching their goals. I encourage everyone to be patient, prepared, safe and to have FUN ! | |
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Matt Conigliaro Head Coach Matt joined Tampa Bay Fit in 2004 having never done any distance running. Since then, he has run many marathons and half-marathons. His personal record in the full marathon is 3:36, and he intends to better that time during the 2009-10 season. Matt lives and works in downtown St. Petersburg and believes we are incredibly fortunate to train along St. Pete's gorgeous waterfront. He looks forward to a great season and to helping lots of runners meet their marathon goals. Matt is a shareholder with the law firm Carlton Fields and in his spare, spare time, maintains a legal blog. | |
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Christy Nelson Head Coach I ran some in late high school/early college, but never very far and never consistently. I didn’t run a step after graduating from college. On my 35th birthday I took stock of my couch potato lifestyle and the looming middle-aged spread, and decided this was not the person I wanted to be. Being goal-oriented, I decided I would do a marathon, because if Oprah could run one, certainly I could as well. I joined Tampa Bay Fit in 2007 to help me accomplish my marathon goal. I knew I needed a group to meet with, a plan to follow, and water stations along the way. Little did I know just how much running would change my life. I’ve run 2 full and 2 half marathons, a relay across Florida, and recently began competing in triathlons. This is my 2nd year as Yellow Group Head Coach, and I plan to run the Disney Goofy Challenge in January. In my non-running life, I am an IT project manager, wife, and mother of 2 kids. | |
 | Jennifer Bumbalough Assistant Coach I have never been accused of being athletic. I had a few short-lived episodes as a gym rat in my 20s, but I've been more of a lazy nerd for most of my life. A few years ago, I found myself in a new city with a new job and a new marital status. It seemed a great time to start new, healthier habits. This included taking long walks which slowly progressed into running. In March 2008, a friend dragged me kicking and screaming to a 5K. I never thought I would actually enjoy a race, but when I crossed the finish line I found it empowering to succeed at a physical activity rather than academics. Since that first race, I have completed 13 other races, including the Disney 1/2 Marathon in January 2009. I joined Tampa Bay Fit last year with the goal of completing the Gasparilla Marathon. I developed a few injuries by not training properly. Although I had to stop running for a while, I kept in touch with Pat. She invited me to fill a spot on the Tampa Bit Fit relay team, so I was still able to participate in Gasparilla this year. (I love the idea of a marathon relay team.) I didn't meet my goal, but I don't view last year as a failure because I am still running. More importantly, I still love to run. I have my sights set on the Gasparilla Marathon again this year and believe that my experiences can encourage others to meet their goals. During normal business hours, sometimes beyond, I spend my time as a Finance Director and corporate counsel for the American Cancer Society. During leisure time I enjoy cooking, reading, and learning as much as I can about running and food. | |
 | Robert Stines Assistant Coach Robert is currently in Law School at Stetson University. He hated to run until he stumbled on to Tampa Bay Fit in 2008. Because of Tampa Bay Fit, he completed his first marathon and triathlon last season. Now, he enjoys running and plans to compete in a lot more triathlons. His goals for this season are: (1) Finish, (2) Finish with a Smile, (3) Finish with a Smile and Injury Free. | |
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Anna Rice Head Coach I put on running shoes for the first time when I was 19; some guys in the office needed a female for the corporate relay team. Prior to that, I was pretty much a bookworm and couch potato! I took some time off from running when my kids were little, but I realized that if I were to ever lose that baby fat, keep up with my kids, and develop a healthy heart for a lifetime, then I better start running again. The furthest I had ever run was a 10K and I always wanted to be able to run at least one marathon in my life, but I felt that a marathon was totally beyond me, since running always seemed such a struggle. It wasn’t until after I talked with a couple of friends who ran marathons that I found out that it is okay to actually walk part of it! When I discovered Tampa Bay Fit in 2008, I knew that my dream could become a reality. The seminars and experiences of the coaches gave me confidence, and having a running group kept me committed. My day job is a high school math, science, and health teacher, which I totally love! I also enjoy hiking, backpacking, and being involved in my church. | |
 | Carolyn Kiper Assistant Coach | |
 | Danielle DiRosa Assistant Coach Danielle joined Tampa Bay Fit in 2008 after enjoying the challenge of many local 5K and 10K races. Believing that a marathon was not only crazy but unattainable, she looked to Tampa Bay Fit to provide the support, guidance and training to beat this challenge. With the help of TBF, she successfully completed a half marathon and the Gasparilla Marathon last year. Prior to joining TBF, Danielle successfully completed the Breast Cancer 3 Day, where she trekked 60 miles over Pinellas County over three days. Danielle is a middle school science teacher at Academy Prep in St. Petersburg. A New England native, she is an avid Red Sox and Patriots fan. Danielle looks forward her Saturday mornings with TBF and the 2009 race season. | |
 | Ray Bailey Assistant Coach Before 2001, Ray would not run to answer a phone... then at the age of 40 he started walking, then running to lose weight. He then set a goal to run his first race - a 10K "Turkey Trot" in Clearwater. After completing the Turkey Trot, Ray was hooked on running and joined Tampa Bay Fit in 2002 to train for his first marathon - Disney 2003 - which he completed in 4:29. Ray completed two more marathons, three 1/2 marathons, and many 10K and 5K races. His best marathon time is 4:15 and his goal remains a sub-4 marathon. Since Ray started running, he has been able to run in in some pretty exotic places including Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Vienna, Budapest, Warsaw, Krakow and Berlin, and Prague. Ray comes back to Tampa Bay Fit every year because of the friendships he has made with other members, meeting new friends, and helping "newbies" meet their personal goals as well, and of course the group runs with those convenient water stops on those longer runs! | |
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Sheila Kane Head Coach Sheila moved from Ohio to Florida in 1999 and immediately decided that going inside to a gym to work out was simply not enjoying the beautiful area in which she now lived. Never having run before, she found Tampa Bay Fit that first summer and ran her first (and only) full marathon at the age of 40 in December of 2000. Sheila has been a Tampa Bay Fit member for 7 of the last 10 years and has since run 6 half marathons. She is married, lives in St Pete Beach and has 3 children- 19, 15 and 12. She enjoys reading, scrapbooking, gardening and margaritas! | |
| Jenn Olvedy Assistant Coach | ||
| Shawn Himes Assistant Coach | ||
| VJ Dixon Assistant Coach This is my fifth season with Tampa Bay Fit. I started running at the tender age of fifty-seven, after accepting my daughter’s challenge to complete a half marathon. My daughter and I researched several different running teams and programs in the area and were delighted when we found Tampa Bay Fit. From the first day we were welcomed! The continued positive support, encouragement and friendly atmosphere broke my stigma that running was for younger, taller and thinner individuals and not for me. I feel that my ongoing level of fitness has enabled me to continue to lead an active life, going to the gym, running, attending art shows, having Girls Night out and most importantly spending time with my family and my new granddaughter who has brought me countless hours of joy into the wee hours of the night. At this time, I have finished two half marathons, numerous shorter races…..and am looking forward to another wonderful running season. | ||
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Sheila Kane Head Coach | |
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| Pat Brighton Head Coach | ||
 | Jill Hill Assistant Coach I love distance running! While the running is great, I believe the people I meet at races, training runs, or along the path of my solo runs are the real bonus. My running interest began in middle school where I was a sprinter. As I've gotten older, it seems my runs have gotten longer, too. By age 42, I finally ran my first marathon and then - I was hooked. Since then, I have set as a goal to run a marathon in every state. As of July 2009, I've raced in 14 different states and am a member of the 50 States Marathon Club. I have 5 more races slated for the remainder of 2009... so we'll see what happens! During the school year, and I am social science teacher at Canterbury in St. Petersburg, Florida. What a great place to work! I couldn't ask for better associates to work with, or students to teach. My area of specialization is geography, American history, Florida studies, and AP Economics. I believe running helps me strike that perfect balance between work, family, and staying healthy. It is my hope that those that join us at Tampa Bay Fit, will learn to love running, too, and see the positive impact that it can have on your life. And by the way, my favorite quote is: “Some people dream of doing great things while others, stay awake and do them”. So let's dream big, and let the running begin. Happy Trails, everyone! | |
