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If you were in the T9 catalog, what would your caption be? Share with us!
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I succeeded by saying what everyone else is thinking.
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If you were in the T9 catalog, what would your caption be? Share with us! 
Hi! I’m Piper, and I live in Bend, Oregon. I started playing tennis when I was 10 years old, and have been playing off and on since then. I played four years in college (Cornell), and have just started to compete again–ten years later! I forgot how much fun competing is: pushing the limits of physical strength, practicing mental stability and executing in a high pressure situation. Winning is just one of the many rewards of competition.
Recently I played in the National Grass Court Championships at the West Side Tennis Club, in Forest Hills, NY. This was a site of the US Open in the early 1900′s (which was played on grass courts until 1978). Since I like to bring a slight bit of humor into a ceremonious and genteel sport, I played wearing a 1970′s Bjorn Borg headband. I respect all the formalities of the game and only bring humor into a situation where people might recognize the reference. (Although I admit I mumbled a swear or two when a ball bounced irregularly on this dynamic lawn surface.)
I get a lot of psychic income giving back to my community in Oregon by mentoring kids through tennis who want to qualify for college scholarships. Currently I am hitting with a couple of “up-and-coming” youths in Bend. I have some very positive success stories that I am extremely proud of. It is a free service to my community that is available to kids who are willing to work hard and listen.
Ultimately I want to reach more than just the talented kids that play tennis in my community. The most valuable skills I’ve learned from tennis that I offer to kids is mental and physical strength and balance. Since I’ve returned to competitive tennis after 10 years, I see a big difference in my strength, agility and mental focus on the court that comes from yoga practice. Fortunately I have been injury free, which I attribute to strength training and stretching. It is hard watching some great players sit out for months because they have chronic injuries plaguing them. I believe that teaching kids a way to take care of their bodies, recover from an asymmetrical sport and fine tune their attention can truly benefit them in every area of their lives.
I see tennis as a metaphor for life. I attribute a lot of my career and life successes to the lessons I’ve learned on the tennis court. If you focus hard enough on exactly what you want, and stay present, you will have the attention and stamina to achieve any goal, on and off the court. I believe tennis is the best tool to teach kids the life skills they need to achieve their dreams. And don’t forget to maintain a sense of humor!
Last weekend’s adventure! 50 mile endurance run on Crystal Mountain.
I choose to be healthy, to grow stronger through my challenges, to celebrate the adventure in the journey every day. I choose to love myself. You with me?
“I’ll never grow up, never grow up, never grow up…NOT ME!” Yes, this is from Peter Pan, but it’s my dream, too!
I am a former special education teacher and current mother of 3. I am just starting my fitness instructor certification because I’m tired of being more fit than my instructors! I am competing in my second Iron Girl Sprint next month and plan on beating my previous time by at least 5 minutes. My fitness regime includes rising before my kids to fit in a run, ride, or class at the nearby gym. Then I squeeze in additional mini workouts in wherever I can. My favorites include biking with my 3 kids in tow (they are 2, 4, and 6 so need to be pulled) to the park and attempting aerial acrobatics on the monkey bars to show my kids that I still can do it! Now if that’s not never growing up, I don’t know what is!
The attached picture is from our recent camping trip. It was our third and final trip of the summer. My family grew up kayaking, canoeing, hiking, biking, fishing, and anything else you can do while camping. I’m proud to say that my kids are following the family tradition and can camp with the best of them!
My caption: No power in the ‘verse can stop me.
Ok, so it’s from Firefly, but it’s pretty much me in a nutshell. I work 2 jobs, I’m finishing my masters degree, I draw and write, I have a wonderful husband and a crazy-smart daughter, I scuba and hike and wrangle stubborn ponies. I love what I do and who I do it with. My current insecurity is that I don’t know exactly where my career is going, but nothing will stop me from getting somewhere awesome!
Caption: “Run fast, get tan.”
My passion is running, though I enjoy being active in general (I love being outside in the sun!) I run Division III track and field for Rhodes College, and I absolutely love it. I grew up playing soccer (14 years worth!), and then transitioned into running. I am a sprinter, primarily running the 400 meters, but during my off-season months, I am more distance-oriented, doing a lot of jogging. I love lifting as well…it feels so good to strengthen my body! I love biking and would like to get into that more post-college. I enjoy swimming as well, though I’m not the best at it. I have recently found a new love in hiking, as I am interning in Barcelona, Spain this summer and have made quite a few (long and hot and steep) climbs! I would love to run a half-marathon some day, as well as participate in a sprint triathlon. Regardless of my eventual career, I want to have time to be able to volunteer/coach for a local track club. I love sharing my passion for athletics with kids and teenagers!
I am the blonde in the middle. This is me and my best friend, Sadie, competing in the open 100m dash at a meet this past Spring. We both got personal bests! A lot of people think track is an individual sport, but it definitely has quite the team aspect. I couldn’t imagine trying to run without my best friend training right beside me. We push each other and make each other better, picking one another up when we’re having a hard day.