The all-women Ragnar Relay Team (the Ultra Pavement Divas of Sarasota, FL), will be drinking ultra-pure Watt-Ahh® during their marathon run from Miami to Key West. Team members Holly Briggs, Gina Ferlise, Carolyn Stiff, Roxy Pech, Sondra Jarvis and Team Captain Jenna O’Horan will be testing the limits by running 36 consecutive hours to support Special Olympics Florida. The “Divas” are a unique team since there are only six women runners instead of twelve (female and male) members in a typical team.
This year’s event runs Friday, Feb. 6 through Saturday, Feb. 7, 2015. Most team members will be piling into two vans and tag-team running 200 miles, day and night, relay style. One runner hits the road at a time, each running three times, with each leg ranging between three to eight miles a stretch. The “Divas” will be doubling their running miles per member and still remain competitive with the rest of the teams. Their impressive bios are posted below, and we have full confidence in the “Divas” on their individual running abilities. CLICK HERE to see them in action. AquaNew sends best wishes to the “Divas” Ragnar team … Stay hydrated, run fast, and make our home town proud!
RAGNAR TEAM BIOS:
Holly Briggs: I am Holly from Raleigh! Over the past 15 years I have run many marathons and half marathons including Boston in 08 and 14. In the interim I fought and won a battle with breast cancer.
With the kids grown and gone, this year I moved past the marathon distance to ultras and plan on completing my first 100 miler at the end of March in NC. I am honored to be participating in the Key West Ragnar, and look forward to conquering the course with a group of super cool ladies who share my passion for running and fun!
Gina Ferlise: My name is Gina Ferlise and I am 45 years old. I am married with two kids, one daughter (15) and a son (11). I work part time at Fit2Run, which is a local running store. My hobbies include lots of tennis, running, kayaking and reading. I started running about nine years ago and have since run 11 full marathons and close to 30 half marathons. I am currently a member of the Manasota Track Club, Marathon Maniacs and the Half Fanatics Running Club.
Carolyn Stiff: My name is Carolyn Stiff and I am 49 years old. I am married and have one son, Robert, who will turn 12 on February 5, the day we leave for our wonderful adventure. I work full time at the Sarasota County Sheriffs office as an administrative assistant I have worked there for 18 years. I love to run, swim and bike and recently got my son interested in running. I started running before my son was born but started getting more serious about running and signing up for more races about three years ago. I just qualified for marathon maniacs and will qualify for half fanatics next Sunday. I started running, and continue to run, for my health and to be a good roll model for my son.
Roxy Pech: Hi! My name is Roxy, and I am 39 years old. I am a mother of two children, an 11-year-old girl and an 8-year-old boy. Growing up, I NEVER did any kind of sports. I worked a full-time job and always worked crazy hours and ate very unhealthy foods. My cholesterol levels were high; I was feeling tired and negative, and I had headaches all the time. I felt awful, and I wanted to make a healthy change in my life.
So, only four years ago, I started running! I did not like running at first. It was really hard for me at the beginning. I started walking first, then walking/running. I was out of shape, and I was always out of breath on all of my runs; but there was this feeling of accomplishment after each run and my wish to FEEL fit and healthy. So, I started to run more! I’ve completed about 50 races, three marathons in 2013, two Ragnars, one Ultra Ragnar and am ready for my second Ultra Ragnar in Feb 2015. In addition to dedicating myself to running as a sport and as a large part of my workout regimen, I also began cross training, which I also enjoy very much. I now have the exercise I need for my healthier life, but the other part of it is nutrition. I changed my diet completely when I began exercising seriously, and – about one year ago – I took it up a level when I became a Raw/Vegetarian.
I joined the Manasota Track Club two years ago, and Downtown Fit2Run running groups. Since then, I have had the opportunity to meet and run with wonderful friends all the time. They really are an inspiration to me, and I am so grateful to be part of such a wonderful running community. Running has become a fundamental part of my life, and I am truly enjoying it.
Sondra Jarvis: My name is Sondra Jarvis. I am 47 years old. I am married with a wonderful son who is 15 (and still likes his parents). I work for the NC Community College System, and volunteer as a team lead for the largest Galloway training group in the region. I love running, biking, swimming, and spending time with my family. I started running after losing 115 lbs. and turning 40. I have done more than 20 full marathons, 40 half marathons, and about 10 ultras. I have learned to run for fun and friendship … and to be able to eat more!
Jenna O’Horan: My name is Jenna. I am 44 years old with a husband of 13 years and a son who is 11 years old. I’ve been running for over 20 years (with a short break while I was pregnant). I’ve been running races for most of those years, but really got into it in the last few years. I’ve run 21 marathons, 54 half marathons, two ultra marathons and numerous 5k, 10K and sprint triathlons. I have been the Membership Secretary for the Manasota Track club for two years. I enjoy sharing my love of running with customers at Fit2Run, a local running store, were I have worked for three years. In 2013, my boss asked me to lead a 5K training group. I agreed at once. I love inspiring others to achieve their goals of running their first race, getting faster or running further than they have ever run. I enjoy running in skirts so much I became an ambassador for Skirt Sports two years ago. I’m also an ambassador for Nuun and X-1 Audio. This will be my third time running the Ragnar Florida Keys race, but my first time on an ultra team. I look forward to the challenge and spending time with a great group of ladies, while we cover 198 miles!