Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Peterson.
Hi Stephanie, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I became a triathlete after watching the 2004 summer olympics and was inspired to complete one myself. As a 15 year old swimmer, I asked my parents to help me get a road bike so I could compete in my first triathlon and from there, I was hooked. I started working at the local bike shop, hired a coach, and started racing in the Junior Elite circuits. I carried my love of triathlon through my college years where I founded the University of Pittsburgh Triathlon Club and I had my first taste of coaching. Inspired by the Para Triathletes at the NYC Triathlon in 2006, I knew I wanted to help people not only recover from unexpected injuries, but also become more mobile and return to doing the things they love- like triathlon. I enrolled in a challenging Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Pitt. After I graduated, I moved south to pursue a job as a Physical Therapist and enjoy being able to ride my bike outdoors all year round. Whenever I would treat an injured runner or triathlete in the clinic, I would help them recover and return to a base level of running or swimming, but I realized most of these athletes needed further guidance on proper training and fueling strategies to prevent recurrence of injury. Training for a triathlon is multi-factorial and a great coach can assess training load, annual training plans, fueling, biomechanics and how factors like sleep, work, family, and stress can have an effect on the body. At the time, I was working as a DPT for over 9 years and was looking for something new to get me excited to learn and grow but I was also fighting viral recurrent pericarditis (inflammation of the lining of the heart) and I was under medical orders not to exercises for at least 8 weeks. For someone who trains 8-12 hours a week, this was torture and I needed to channel my energy elsewhere. I was unsure I would ever be able to race again with high intensity so I decided to become a USA Triathlon Level I coach so I could help athletes bridge the gap between recovering from an injury and returning to race ready shape while preventing recurrence of injury.
I write this as I lay awake in a hotel room the night before IRONMAN Texas as I have a few athletes racing their first ever Ironman tomorrow. I never imagined I would be where I am today when I started R3 Endurance. I’m a healthcare provider, not a marketer and definitely not a business owner. Except now I am all of those things plus more. I have learned so much in the past few years not only about triathlon coaching, but also about business, social media marketing, sales, website design, and the list goes on. I still have so much to learn but I also understand that this is my journey and it takes time and I’ll come across different experiences along the way.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I would say the biggest obstacle I’ve had to overcome, especially in my first year, was imposter syndrome. Even in physical therapy I had imposter syndrome. Always worried that maybe I didn’t know everything and that I needed to know more to help my patients better. This was especially a problem when I decided to start social media marketing. I could not even talk in front of a camera without stuttering my words or completely stop talking because I was worried about what others would think. I’m still not 100% confident, but I have come a long way in tackling imposter syndrome.
One of my struggles is just fitting it all in and having to navigate new areas of business that I am unfamiliar with. I still work full time as a Physical Therapist and find my best time to get work done is late at night after my daughter goes to bed. Although, staying this busy forces me to become even more efficient,
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
At R3 Endurance, I am the founder, owner, and coach. I wear all the “hats”. I help triathletes make a comeback after injury through coaching. I think what sets me apart from other triathlon coaches is my unique history as a Junior Elite Triathlete and my background as a Doctor of Physical Therapy. Triathlon has been a huge part of my life and honestly, I have been racing triathlons more than half my life at this point. Blending the professions of Physical therapy and Triathlon Coaching, I provide training plans which promote health, recovery, injury prevention, nutrition, and technique for best performance. I have been a competitive swimmer since I was 4 and through the many years of trying to perfect my stroke, I have had lots of instruction. Now, I provide similar feedback and instruction to triathletes who want to become more efficient through swim analysis sessions.
How do you think about happiness?
My family. Easy question 🙂
Swimming with a group of similarly paced swimmers, cycling in a large peloton on the streets of Austin, and running with various run groups (sometimes with my daughter in the stroller) still makes me really happy. I enjoy being outdoors, in nature, and just surrounding myself with friends and family in the process.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://r3endurance.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steph_r3endurance/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/R3-Endurance/100093109031652/#
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-peterson-pt-dpt-cert-mdt-9b93322a9
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@R3Endurance
Image Credits
Sachi Jenkins Photography
