Trail Gangsta of the Month — trail gangsta of the month
đź’ĄTrail Gangsta of the Month (April '21): Peter Mellen & Olivia đź’Ą
Full Name: Peter Mellen
Age: 40
Hometown: Naples, FL
Current Residence: Memphis, TNÂ
Occupation: Service Advisor, Race Director for Motivated RunningÂ
1. How did you discover trail running?
When I began running roads and increased my mileage to the point I felt I was able to go up to a full marathon, I wanted more! That’s where my desire to try my first 50k in 2019 happened. It was just the drive to do more mileage after that. Now I’ve completed a 50 miler and looking at 100k and 100 miler by 2022.
2. What...
đź’ĄTrail Gangsta of the Month (March '21): Colleen Lingley đź’Ą
Name: Colleen Lingley
Age: 42
Hometown: The Surface of the Sun (Phoenix, AZ)
Current Residence: Flagstaff, AZ
Occupation: Registered Dietitian
Colleen Lingley has always been a speedster: helping her ASU cross country team to a 6th place finish at Nationals in 2000, but it wasn’t until later in life that she discovered she was a force at the ultra distances! In her first 100 miler at the 2018 Flagstaff to Grand Canyon Stagecoach 100, she won decisively by setting the female course record which still stands today! Read...
đź’ĄTrail Gangstas of the Month (February '21): Meet Ryan Steiner & Kala! đź’Ą
Full Name: Ryan SteinerÂ
Age: 40     Kala’s Age: 5
Hometown: Terre Haute, Indiana
Current Residence: Peru, Indiana
Occupation: Stay-at-Home-Dad, Artist, Runner, Autism Advocate Â
1. When did you realize you had autism? Was it difficult to share this discovery with others?
 I was in 3rd grade when I started to recognize I was different from the other kids. My mother was always pretty open with me about the diagnosis, so I never felt like it was something I needed...
đź’ĄTrail Gangsta of the Month (January '21): Meet Sarah Kassing & Lyra! đź’Ą
Full Name: Sarah KassingÂ
Dog’s Name: Lyra (my main go-to for canicross)
Age: 36   Dog’s Age: 3.5 years
Hometown: Audubon, MN
Current Residence: Flagstaff, AZ
Occupation: Â Emergency Veterinarian
1. Okay, what the heck is canicross?!
Canicross is a sport that stems from the sled dog world. It started a way for mushers to train in the off-season but has evolved into a highly competitive sport throughout the world. It involves a dog harnessed and attached by a bungee line...
đź’ĄTrail Gangsta of the Month (December): Meet Maurice Lowman! đź’Ą
Full Name: Maurice Lowman
Age: 42
Hometown: East Providence, RI
Current Residence: East Providence, RI
Occupation: Automotive SalesÂ
1. What is the significance of the panda to you? Is it your spirit animal?
That’s a definite yes! My grandmother gave me a panda bear stuffed animal when I was a toddler and I was obsessed with it. I grew up infatuated with pandas, from posters to National Geographic issues, I was hooked. My grandmother “nana” used to tell me I would be a runner when...