Born in 1980 in a small town in southern Germany and raised by parents who put a lot of emphasis on being active. Most weekends, we spent at least one full day hiking or biking as a family – always with our swimsuits and towels, just in case we’d find a lake to swim in. Not a bad foundation for a future triathlete… I was also involved in gymnastics, swimming, track & field, (even some ballet), and played the violin. Busy but loving it! My mom’s voice still rings in my ears: “Do it right or don’t do it at all.” Our parents didn’t care how well my sister and I placed in sports, but they made sure that we were committed and giving it our best effort.

At the age of 14, I started to get more interested in longer distance running and cycling. Growing up watching Le Tour de France and then re-enacting it on our family bike rides, I had dreams of becoming a competitive cyclist but, considering my athletic background, my parents encouraged me to check out the local triathlon club. Spectating at their annual race, I knew I wanted to give this sport a try and joined the club right away. As the youngest member (15), all the athletes and coaches took very good care of me, turned me into a student of the sport, and instilled in me a love and passion for triathlon that is still strong 20+ years later! I learned how to suck a wheel while crying behind my sunglasses because, if I got dropped, I wouldn’t be able to find my way back home. I never led any lane in the pool because I was too busy studying Latin and French vocabulary in my head to count laps. I raced in the Baden-Wuerttemberg youth triathlon league and faired quite well from the beginning which wasn’t only a total blast but also quite serious business.

I have always liked to travel and in 1998 I received a scholarship to spend my senior year at Provo High School in Utah as an exchange student. I had so much fun that year as a part of the swim, cross-country, and track team that I didn’t want to leave! But, alas, I had two more years of school in Germany that I considered spending at a triathlon boarding school (ALZ Sigmaringen). After touring the facility and getting a glimpse of the program, which was still in its infancy then, I decided against it because, not only had I gotten significantly out of shape in the US, but it was also easier to pick up where I had left off a year earlier rather than start all over yet again. Sigmaringen became quite the epicenter for triathlon in Germany a few years later but I didn’t know it because I was too busy studying linguistics back in the US at BYU and establishing myself in the Utah triathlon scene. In 2003, after 8 years of competing in sprint and olympic races (and multiple trips to Roth to cheer for friends and teammates), I signed up for my first 70.3 and quickly fell in love with the longer distances.

I knew Karl Jarvis (a speedy runner) would be a great partner when, on our first date, we went on a bike ride where he bonked and I dropped him and he didn’t care (too much). We have been married since 2004 and love our two fun and active boys, Noah and Max. When our kids are not cheering for their parents in a triathlon or running race, we enjoy exploring all nature has to offer and camping together. Quality family time is very important to us. We have lived together in Provo, Utah; Flagstaff, Arizona; and now Cedar City, Utah, where Karl teaches Biology at Southern Utah University.

Being on the podium in every Ironman 70.3 event I entered as an age grouper, including three 70.3 World Championships in Las Vegas, I realized that I was able to compete at the highest amateur level in this sport even while raising a family and supporting my husband in graduate school. It certainly wasn’t easy, but I embrace the challenge of fulfilling my own dreams while taking good care of my family. In 2014, with both boys in school, I was ready to step up to the full Ironman distance and thought: Why not do so as a pro?! Nothing like two exciting challenges wrapped into one! I took my pro card and haven’t looked back since.

I love racing. I race because it makes me happy and fulfills me. I love to see what I am made of and how I handle challenges thrown at me. It gets me excited like few other things in life to toe the line with friends and fellow competitors all wanting to see what we got. I love the training day in and day out and when race day comes along it’s time to party, really go for it, dig deep, enjoy the process, deal with the demons in my head, and never give up. And I love all of it!