Nicknames: MB, Pearl, EMMBA.
Date of Birth: 12th July 1977.
Place of Birth: Washington, DC.
Hometown: Lewes, Delaware.
Resides: Boulder Colorado.
Height: 5ft 4inches.
Weight: 115 Pounds.
Education: Northwestern University MA in Intergrated Marketing '00, BS in Industrial Engineering & Economics '99.
Primary Education: The Lawrenceville School '95.
Family: Parents Steve and Kathy, Brother Brian Sister in Law Cindy, Niece Alexandra.
Occupation: Currently Professional Triathlete, Oct 2004- Feb 2007 Retention Marketing Manager Corporate Express,
Feb 2001 - Oct 2004 Marketing Manager at eBags.com.
Coach: Simon Lessing and Darren deReuck of Boulder Coaching.
I have been involved in sports from a young age. I tried sports along with everything from music to ballet to acting as a kid. Luckily for me, I was a disaster at dancing, pitiable on the violin and trumpet, and embarrassing in the muscials so I poured my energy into all the sports I did.
At the Lawrenceville School, I focused on interscholastic field hockey, swimming, lacrosse, and track. My junior and senior year, I played center midfield on a very successful field hockey team that won the Mercer County Tournament and the New Jersey State tournaments both years. As both a junior and senior, I was named to the All-County Team, selected as an All-State honoree, and was the team’s MVP. In the winter, I competed on the varsity swimming team and set the school records in the 200 Medley Relay, 200 IM, 100 butterfly, 100 breaststroke, and 400 Freestyle Relay. As a sophomore, junior, and senior, I was a High School All-American and received All-Area honors. In my senior year as team captain, I was second in the 100 breaststroke at the Eastern Interscholastic Meet and the Junior National Championships, where I also qualified for Senior Nationals. I was the New Jersey state champion 3 times in the 100 breaststroke, as well as in the 200 IM, 100 butterfly, and 200 medley & 400 freestyle relays. In the spring, I ran spring track and played lacrosse. As a senior team captain of the track team, I won the State and County Championships in the 1- and 2-mile events, set the school records for both events, won the Bernardsville Invitational 2 mile, and was undefeated during the entire season.
At Northwestern University, I participated on the cross country and swimming teams, both at the Division I varsity level. As a harrier, I twice received Academic All-Big Ten honors and captained the cross-country team for two years. In addition, during the spring, I had top finishes in the 5000m at the Texas Relays and Penn Relays. My Northwestern swimming career included a three-time selection as a Division I Academic All-American, four-time Academic All-Big Ten, NCAA Championship qualifier, and Olympic trials qualifier in 1996. I held the Northwestern University School records in the 100-meter breaststroke, 200-meter medley Relay, and 400-meter medley Relay and made the finals in the Big Ten tournament in my event each year. I also received the Joseph H. Trienens Memorial Scholarship, was selected as the Torch of Center Court Recipient, and was nominated NCAA Female Athlete of the Year in 2000.
After college, I focused on becoming an elite runner. I ran my first marathon in 2000 and finished with a respectable 2:46 in the Chicago marathon. Other post-collegiate running performances have included podium finishes at the 2004 Baltimore Half Marathon, 2003 Las Vegas Half Marathon, 2002 Hartford Half Marathon, and the 2001 Philadelphia Marathon. In my second marathon, the 2001 Philadelphia Marathon, I placed 3rd overall (1st American) with a 2:41 and was nationally ranked in the top 15 American performances for that year. After struggling with running injuries from 2002 through 2005, I was finally diagnosed with early osteoarthritis in my hip and advised to stop running the high mileage required of an aspiring elite distance runnner. As a result, in the summer of 2005, I decided to start cross training and compete in a few triathlons for fun. After competing in three triathlons as an amateur with some success, I decided to turn pro and start training seriously in the spring of 2006. At that time, I began working with my coach, Siri Lindley. My first season as a professional was filled with some beginner's success. These early results led me to quit my job in 2007 and make the leap to training full time as a professional triathlete. I am excited to continue my journey in sport and will enjoy every step and misstep along the way.
