I was a complete newbie to the sport when I decided I wanted to try a triathlon and not just any triathlon, an Ironman. I told Holly this and she didn’t even bat an eye. She said ok let’s make a plan. She taught me how to swim ( I couldn’t even swim 25 meters), helped me get comfortable on my bike and prescribed strength exercises to help with my running. She answered lots of questions and calmed many fears. With 75 weeks of consistent training I became an Ironman. Holly can help you with triathlon but also just running or biking. Don’t be afraid to “tri” because she can help you!
Angie Smallwood
I met Holly shortly after joining GPP Endurance the summer of 2015. At the time she was an athlete training for events and we participated in team workouts and GPP Fit classes together. Holly showed her passion for endurance sports by excelling in difficult triathlon events, and in 2015 she decided to become a USAT Certified Triathlon Coach.
At the end of 2016 I found myself looking for a new coach, I knew Holly and recognized her passion for sports, her friendliness and dedication to her athletes. I approached her that November and could tell immediately we would be a good fit.
Starting in January of 2017 I had ZERO plans of competing in any Ironman events. Several of my friends on the endurance team made plans to compete in half and full Ironman races. Several of my close friends, including Holly, encouraged me to compete in the 2017 Racine Ironman 70.3 event. I was thankful to have Holly to prepare me for such an intense race. Holly's patience, experience, and motivation were a key part of why I finished the race and performed to the best of my potential.
Not long after registering for the half Ironman, I decided to check both bucket list items off in one year. I met with Holly to go over the feasibility of competing in full Ironman two months after finishing a half Ironman. Holly was supportive as always, and she created a detailed plan to push my fitness up to the level needed to race in an full Ironman Triathlon.
In just under 10 months Holly took an athlete with NO plans of competing in any Ironman events all the way to the toughest endurance event, full Ironman. Along with coaching, she also raced in the 2017 Chattanooga Ironman. She finished the race before me, waited and cheered me on through the finish line and met me with a hug. Anyone who has ever completed a full Ironman race will tell you waiting around after the race is a BIG deal. You are completely exhausted following that long and intense race.
Holly did an amazing job coaching me and was an inspiration to the entire GPP Endurance team. I would not have made it through the race with out her guidance.
I found immense value in her coaching abilities and dedication.
It is my pleasure to recommend Holly as a premier coach for anyone seeking to improve their fitness and take on a race of any size, as small as a super sprint triathlon or as big as a full Ironman. Holly can get you to the start line with the best chances of racing to your full potential. I am proud to have been one of Holly's athletes and even prouder to have her as a friend.
Jonathan Amsden
Before I started getting coaching from Holly, I only exercised on a rowing machine, without a plan or goal. I hadn’t ran, biked or swam in 20+ years. So, going from near zero to participating in an Ironman 70.3 in just over a year was nothing short of a miracle! Through patience and excellent teaching she trained me to enjoy my 10 mile runs as easy, my 2 hour trainer rides as treats and 1.2 mile swims were done on a lunch break!! Her care and experience kept my spirits up during the long training and her wisdom guided me through injuries and stress. She taught me the critical nutritional aspect of endurance training. Using her nutritionist experience she suggested what to eat, what to drink, and taught me how it affects my performance and recovery. Her workout plans were catered especially to my personal condition, she tailor-made every week of workouts considering my injuries, my work/life schedule, and all while keeping me on track to be prepared for the 70.3!! She’s an amazing coach and an even better person. Thank you for everything Holly!!
10/10 I recommend her for your endurance training!
Cody Carson
I worked with Holly in 2017 when I decided to do my first 70.3. She was always accommodating in every aspect for preparation. We met nearly every week to either review the training plan or work on skill specific items. Since I travel for work, her inputting the training plan 1-2 weeks in advance, helped me plan my workouts to what I could accomplish each day. While I had done up to an Olympic distance prior to the 70.3, her training plan had me well prepared for race day. Unfortunately, the water in Lake Michigan turned cold for our June race day and the swim was cancelled. I finished with a time of 5 hours on the bike and run – hitting my goal with time to spare. An incomplete race was never my intention and I decided to keep training with Holly so I could enter and complete another 70.3 that September. Once again, I was ready on race day and finished just over 6 hours for all 3 disciplines. I had never been a huge fan of open water swimming and despite windy, turbulent conditions of the water that morning, I never doubted finishing the swim and found it to be my favorite part of the race. Holly is a great coach to work with and there’s no doubt I was ready to achieve my goals.