Caitlin Sapp, PT, DPT, CIDN

Doctor of Physical Therapy, Bachelors of Science in Exercise Science, 8x Ironman Finisher including Kona Finisher, Physical Therapist, Triathlon and Run Coach.

Chances are that you've been through some crazy experiences in life! I believe we're all a product of our past...good and bad. This has helped shape my beliefs and drive to help athletes like you navigate difficult times and injury or as we say..."muddy waters."

Growing up wasn't always smooth sailing for me. Maybe you can relate. From being the victim of bullying and past-traumatic events, I've learned firsthand how the combination of various factors can lead to pain, injury, and hardship.

When the going got tough, I turned to sport and training as a refuge. Swimming, biking, and running always seemed to afford me inner peace, solace, and escape. Physical challenges, such as Ironman, were relative to my struggles and hardships.

When my health started to take a turn for the worse, I wasn’t sure where to turn. At this point in my life, I should've been firing on all cylinders. I went from being one of the top age-group Ironman athletes in the world to not being able to walk to my mailbox without feeling like I was gonna collapse. My world seemed to be caving in. I didn't know where to turn or how to get myself out of this grave situation. I had to face the music and embrace the complexity of my ecosystem, which included stressors beyond the physical demands of training...work, family, friendships, sleep, fueling, etc. It wasn’t until I took an aerial view of my situation that I began to reclaim my grip.

As I reflect on my life up to this point, a lot of my hardships seem to parallel the challenges we often face as (endurance) athletes and individuals.

We all train to work through trying times. Look...I don’t see people when things are peachy. It’s not until pain and injury rear their head that folks reach out. When you work with me, it's important that we truly connect to make sense of your thoughts and feelings.

These days it's an honor and privilege to be in a position where I can troubleshoot with individuals going through difficult times. I want to create a safe space that allows us to have open and honest discussions while helping you gain clarity on your situation.

Nothing's worse than finding yourself in a position where you need help and have nowhere to turn. I'm here to help cast a light on a sensible path for you. Injuries, lackluster performances, and pain are things I want to help you transcend so you can lead a healthy, active, and fulfilling life.

Athletic Accolades:

• 8x Ironman Finisher

• Kona Qualifier and Finisher

• 2015 F25-29 North American Ironman Championship

• 20+ Ironman 70.3 Triathlons

• 6x 70.3 World Championship Qualifier

• 3x USA Triathlon All American Athlete

• Ironman PR: 10:56:04

• Ironman 70.3 PR: 4:42:37

Heather Prochnow - Triathlon Coach

If I’ve learned anything in my 30+ years on earth, it is that life is all about balance.  Don’t get me wrong – I can spend 9 hours on the couch binging true crime documentaries and like any well-seasoned arm chair detective - but I also enjoy spending hours upon hours training while still making my friends, family, and work a priority.   

Not too many years ago, I found myself at a crossroads in my life.  I was living in central Illinois in an unhappy and unfulfilling marriage and I was at the very beginning of my triathlon journey.   Within a year, I had gotten divorced and completed my first Ironman which completely changed my outlook on life.  I felt like I could do anything and I was no longer *stuck* as long as I was open to new opportunities.   

So what did I do?  My dog and I moved across the country to Washington D.C. and I started living again.  Really living!  I embraced new experiences and created new goals and dreams and set out to complete them.  After my first Ironman, I secretly set the goal of qualifying for the Ironman World Championships in Kona.  I hired my first coach, completed more races, and fell deeper in love with the sport of triathlon along the way.   It took time (7 years in fact), but I finally reached that goal in 2021.  

Sports and exercise have always provided me the emotional lift or mental sanity that I crave when life gets difficult.  As a goal oriented person, I train to be the best athlete that I can be without fully sacrificing other vital parts of my life.  Do I make compromises along the way?  Of course I do – I want to be my best version of myself on the race course.  But I also have a career as a veterinarian that I am passionate about that requires a dedication to my clients and patients and sometimes work has to be my priority.  The same mindset applies to my relationships.  

How do we achieve that balance in our busy lives?  Maybe you are a parent or you have a time intensive career, or maybe you just have other interests outside of triathlon!  Whatever it is, your goals are tangible and manageable with dedication, motivation, and sometimes a bit of creativity.  I am beyond excited to share my love and knowledge of triathlon with athletes like you to help you achieve your goals! 

Athletic Accolades: 

• 10 x Ironman Finisher

• 12 x 70.3 Finisher

• Kona Qualifier (2021)

• Multi-time First out of the water (FOTW) Age Grouper at IM events

• Multi-year USA Triathlon All-American Athlete & Multi-year Ironman All World Athlete (Gold, Silver, Bronze)

• Ironman PR 10:46:28

• Ironman 70.3 PR 4:59:48

• Olympic Distance PR 2:25:27

Jenn Trimble - Run Coach

One major takeaway from my life recently is that mindset is everything. You can find evidence to support any belief that you have about yourself, whether it be positive or negative. While some things in life truly are out of our control, we have the decision each day to reframe our thoughts and open an infinite number of doors to help us be better versions of ourselves.

In 2019, I was diagnosed with a rare (1 in 100,000), but serious autoimmune disease that went undiagnosed for 2.5-3 years and nearly claimed my life. Prior to my diagnosis, I was a strong runner, running 12 full marathons, along with countless halves and other distances. After I ran my first full in 2012, I had a dream to qualify for the Boston Marathon. Other people told me that my qualifying time was too challenging and I wouldn’t qualify, but the body achieves what the mind believes. One of my good friends was looking at the race times that I was running in 2013 and told me that he knew I could qualify. It wasn’t until this conversation that I started to believe that I actually could. The body really does achieve what the mind believes and I qualified 3 times between 2013 and 2014 and earned my spot at the starting line in Hopkinton for the 2015 Boston Marathon.

From 2017-2019, things with my running flatlined and then went downhill fast. I went from someone who could run marathons to not even being able to run a tenth of a mile without having to stop to walk. After getting diagnosed with Addison’s Disease, I chose to look at it from a positive mindset because having answers meant that I could finally move forward.

The whole experience has left me with a grateful heart and I know that I would not have requalified for Boston 2 more times and run it in 2022 without looking for little improvements each day and knowing that can add up to big results. In endurance sports and life, gratitude can help you along the way and I have learned that first hand.

My goal is to share my experiences, knowledge, and the gift of running with others through creating a training plan tailored specifically to the individual, no matter ability level. I believe in training consistently with intention and that each run has a purpose. Each runner is not the same; therefore, each runner’s training should not be the same either. I am excited to help you achieve your goals and dreams in the sport of running!