i-tri focuses on working with middle-school girls because research shows that the largest drop in self-esteem occurs during early adolescence. 69% of elementary school-aged girls reported being “happy the way I am.” That figure plummets to 29% for high school girls.
i-tri girls learn to believe in themselves, and that can change everything. Along the journey to the finish line of a youth distance triathlon, our girls discover that they are capable, strong and brave. They make connections that show them that while they are unique, they’re definitely not alone. Side by side, with new friends, i-tri girls learn to go inward to find their own strengths and to help others find theirs. i-tri girls are not triathletes. Rather, we use the sport of triathlon to give them a goal that is seemingly impossible, that is overwhelming and scary. And then we give them the physical and mental tools to achieve that goal.
2020 challenged us to pivot to a virtual program and demonstrated how important our Empowerment and Fitness sessions are as mental health and social emotional learning tools for our girls.
All equipment, training and transportation are provided for free to every girl because we believe personal circumstances should not hold any girl back from reaching her potential. That makes i-tri different. It isn’t about where you come from. It’s about where you are going. No one has to ask for a scholarship or a favor, and we empower our girls to help themselves, as they participate in fundraising throughout the year.
How do you prove that a girls empowerment program really works? From the beginning of our program to the triathlon, our most recent group of program graduates showed measurable improvement. Self confidence, self awareness, perseverance and interest in sports all increased significantly!
”If I had had this experience when I was 12, I would have been a different, more confident woman.”
Theresa Roden, i-tri Founder and Chief Visionary Officer
When Theresa Roden completed a triathlon in 2005, the experience was emotionally transformative. Would it be possible, she wondered, to lead a group of adolescent girls on a similar journey to the finish line of a youth distance triathlon? (Her own daughter was 12 at the time.) Inspired by her experience, she decided to bring the benefits of visualization, affirmations, nutrition and the active lifestyle that the sport of triathlon gave her, to girls who could really benefit. With a degree in education, tremendous tenacity, a commitment to her dream, and a supportive hard-working team, Roden launched i-tri in 2010. The original pilot program consisted of 8 Middle School girls at Springs School in East Hampton, NY. By 2023, Theresa’s vision has grown to serve over 1,200 girls from 13 school districts and continues to guide us as we prepare for a National Expansion!
Board Chair
Linda Frankenbach has more than 25 years of senior executive experience in television and new media. She has held senior roles in product management, sales, marketing and business development with Home Box Office, Time Warner Cable and Cablevision and is passionate about the creation and early stages of new businesses. At HBO/Time Warner, Linda worked on the teams that created and launched HBO, Cinemax, Comedy Central and Court TV. In recent years, Linda founded fitsmi Inc. to help overweight teen girls and the parents of children struggling with their weight by providing live online coaching and community support.
Linda has served as a member of the Bronxville, New York Board of Education and of the board of The Women’s Campaign Fund (WCF). She is currently a member of the board of She Should Run (SSR) whose mission is to motivate qualified women to run for elected office. Linda also serves as the vice -chair of the board of i-tri. Ms. Frankenbach holds a BA from Princeton University and an MBA from Columbia Business School. She resides in Bridgehampton, NY and NYC with her husband Hendrik Kranenburg. She is proudly the mother of 2 twenty- somethings who, of course, live in Brooklyn.
Board Treasurer Bobby McLain has more than 30 years of experience in the banking industry, all at JP Morgan Chase and company. He retired in 2018 after spending most of that time at the firm’s Private Bank after a long career in sales and senior management positions. He has worked with clients in Europe, Middle East and Latin America focusing on managing personal investments. He was the leader of the Private Bank’s Investment Solutions division and led the investment business for the firms Latin America private clients. During his time at JP Morgan, Bobby was a senior advisor and mentor for the Private Bank’s analyst and MBA training programs. He also led some of the firm's client segmentation projects and led the expansion of the country coverage for Latin America. Bobby holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting degree from Villanova University. He splits his time between New York City and East Hampton where he lives with his husband and his dog Cody. When in East Hampton, you’ll likely see him and Cody walking around town or running around Sammy’s beach.
Board Secretary
For more than 30 years, Anne Starobin held senior executive positions in Talent Management, Leadership Development and Executive Coaching at Prudential Financial, UBS Financial Services and AIG Insurance. Anne worked directly with CEOs and Executive Leaders to implement Talent Review Processes, Succession Planning and a culture of coaching and leadership.
During her tenure at AIG, Anne established the groundbreaking Executive Women’s Leadership Program and the very first Leadership Programs for people from underrepresented groups.
Throughout Anne’s career, she dedicated herself to the mentoring future executive-level leaders with particular focus on young women. She initiated mentoring circles for women and for being the business sponsor for Women’s Employee Resource Groups.
Anne founded her own business, serving as an executive coach and facilitator of teambuilding and strategy sessions, leadership development programs, and consultative sales training programs.
Anne holds a degree from Syracuse University, a M.A. from New York University and an M. Ed from Columbia University. Her home is East Hampton where she lives with her husband and her dog, Cinnamon, and occasionally is joined by her 22 year-old daughter who is college junior majoring in psychology.
Board Member Judi Caron grew up in Los Angeles. After travelling extensively in Europe and Latin America in her 20’s, she settled in France where she married and raised three children. Primarily a full time mother, she also worked in marketing for a food manufacturing business. She moved to New York City in 2000 and worked in a non-profit organization called Independent Curators International, helping to produce art books and serving as registrar. She served on the Boards of two organizations, French American Cultural Exchange, FACE, and Julia Mandle Performance serving as President for 3 years. She volunteered for several years in a Women’s Homeless Shelter, Partnership for the Homeless, and also sponsored and mentored a Bronx High School student for 4 years through Student Sponsor Partnership (now in college), and found this her most rewarding experience. Judi discovered the power of the experience of triathlon through participation in 2 Danskin Triathlons and joined the Board of i-tri in 2015 when she moved full time to Sag Harbor. She has 6 grandchildren under age 7!
Board Member
Bill Conway is a veteran writer and producer of feature films, documentaries and prime time television series. His writing credits include Matlock, Walker Texas Range and Miami Vice, for which he co-wrote the final episode. He was a founding partner of New Mexico Media Partners, a private equity film production fund. Producing credits include “Another Happy Day starring Ellen Barkin, Ellen Burstyn and Demi Moore, and writer/director Richard Linklater’s “Bernie” starring Shirley MacLaine, Jack Black and Mathew McConaughey. While with NMMP Conway co-wrote and produced the independent film "Spoken Word" starring Kuno Becker and Reuben Blades. He was an Executive Producer on the documentary film SEMBENE! which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2015 and was featured at that year’s Cannes Film Festival. He is currently developing several film and television projects while completing his first novel.
A lifelong athlete, Bill started playing rugby at the age of twelve when his family moved to Sydney, Australia. While earning a B.A. in communications from Stanford University, he was a four-year starter for the rugby team and a Northern California all-star. Bill went on to earn an MA in Film and Television from the University of Michigan where he continued to play rugby for both Michigan and the regional select side. Bill took up the sport of triathlon in 2007. In 2018 he won the 65-69 age group in the 2XU New York City Triathlon and qualified for team USA at Draft Legal Nationals in Sarasota, FL. In 2019 he competed for team USA at the ITU World Championships in Lausanne, Switzerland and was an USA Triathlon Foundation Ambassador.
Along with his wife Amy, a writer and artist, Bill currently splits time between Manhattan and East Hampton where they enjoy the active, creative lifestyle and occasional visits from their children and grandchildren.
Board Member
Jackie Corso has more than 30 years senior and C-level executive experience primarily in the fashion industry. Her expertise is in brand building, product design and sourcing, merchandising, sales and business development. In positions with Talbots, New York and Company (a Limited division), CEO of Nine West Accessories, she traveled the world researching fashion trends, developing new products around them, and sourcing the products to drive a profitable business. Jackie has always had the passion of an entrepreneur combined with the fiscal discipline of a strategic leader, and is equally adept in mature multi-billion dollar companies as well as early stage ventures.
Jackie applied her product development and business acumen to the tech industry as well as VP/GM of Nook Digital Accessories. Mentoring and developing young people was always an important part of every leadership position Jackie has held. She was inspired by a fifth grade teacher she had who influenced her in pursuing her dream of becoming a buyer in the fashion industry.
Now in her second career, Jackie is enjoying time in the wine industry which has been a passion for years. She holds the Advanced Certificate w/Merit from the WSET and is currently a WSET Diploma candidate.
Jackie served on the Professional Advisory Board of St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital in Memphis for many years, as well as the Business Advisory Council of Miami University of Ohio, her alma mater.
Board Member
Laurie Gordon is a graduate of Georgetown Law School and the University of Delaware. She worked as a corporate lawyer in New York City and, for nearly two decades, worked in executive positions in the online publishing and content development fields, including as co-founder of the website fertilityauthority.com. She owns and operates Long Pond Management, LLC, a full-service estate management company serving the Hamptons.
Laurie has lived full-time in Bridgehampton since 2005. She has two daughters who both graduated from Sag Harbor’s Pierson High School and were very involved in sports and school programs. Evan attends Cornell University and Charlotte goes to Duke and is on the Field Hockey team.
While never encouraged to play sports as a child, Laurie began running in her twenties. She ran the New York City Marathon in 1996, the Block Island Triathlon in 2008, and the Bridgehampton Half Marathon in 2014. These experiences convinced her that the training and mental preparation required for racing would work miracles for adolescent girls.
Since 2008, Laurie has served on i-tri’s Board of Directors. A sports enthusiast herself, you’ll find her outside horseback riding or walking her rescue dog, McGuire. She is an avid reader, theater buff and active member of the East End Community.
Board Member
Cindy Lenkiewicz grew up in Buffalo, New York. She earned a J.D., magna cum laude, from the University of Buffalo School of Law and a B.S. in Accounting, magna cum laude, from Ithaca College. She began her legal career as a corporate attorney at the law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom in New York City. For over the past two decades, she has worked as a corporate governance attorney in the financial services industry for various companies. She has held her current position as Associate General Counsel and Assistant Secretary of New York Life Insurance Company since October 2005, where she has responsibility for the planning, organization and documentation of the Company’s Committee and Board meetings and advises on corporate governance matters.
While never participating in any sports in school, other than cheerleading, Cindy took up running in her late twenties. She challenged herself and achieved what seemed to be an unattainable goal of completing her first New York City Marathon in 1997. She was inspired and went on to complete 9 additional marathons in various destinations, such as Paris, France and Anchorage, Alaska. For a number of these marathons she raised money for the Leukemia Society through its Team in Training program.
Cindy is passionate about adventure travel and also enjoys skiing, hiking, kayaking, and biking. Combining these interests, she has travelled the world extensively, including climbing Mount Kilimanjaro; trekking the Inca Trail to Macchu Picchu; hiking in Nepal, Patagonia and Norway; biking in Europe, Asia, and the Americas; and exploring various wonders of the world. Cindy embodies the Hans Christian Andersen quote “To Travel is to Live,” and believes that her wanderlust has provided her the opportunity to broaden her perspective in so many ways.
Cindy and her husband, David Polek, live in New York City and Southampton, New York. Cindy joined the i-tri Board in June 2019. Continuing the legacy of her family and moved by their community service, Cindy wanted to volunteer in her local Hamptons community and lend her corporate expertise and detail-oriented organizational skills to a non-profit where she is enthusiastic about the mission. She is looking forward to a rewarding experience empowering, inspiring and mentoring adolescent girls.
Board Member
Adeline Horner Neubert
Board Treasurer
Adeline is a seasoned executive with a diverse background and a proven track record in global businesses. She combines her strong people skills, international financial services foundation, human capital and community engagement expertise with a track record of achieving results. Adeline is a business owner and entrepreneur who has lived and/or worked in five countries. She is recognized for her skills in global leadership development, executive search, political and economic risk assessment, and fundraising strategy.
Adeline’s primary focus is as a trusted advisor in the area of human capital. She delivers leading-edge solutions via customized executive coaching and leadership development services. She believes that to advance one’s career, a business professional must leverage his or her talent and personality to differentiate themselves in an increasingly challenging corporate environment. Adeline capitalizes on her 20+ years of leadership and management experience to help enhance her client’s professional skill set.
Adeline joined Citibank in 1985 in New York and then in Europe, focusing on marketing and cross border and political risk. She advised Citibank’s senior management on their business offerings and strategy in Israel and former Yugoslavia. After leaving Citibank in 1991, she worked independently with large multinational companies developing and implementing their business strategies in former Yugoslavia. In 1993 Adeline joined Spencer Stuart, an international Executive Search firm, supporting senior level financial sector searches in German speaking markets. As of 2006, Adeline has worked for various non-profit organizations in the area of financial and fundraising strategy, board development and board facilitation. In 2008, Adeline added to her consulting practice, executive and team coaching and leadership development and training.
Adeline served the Children’s Museum of the East End (CMEE) since 1999 in a variety of capacities including: member of the Board of Trustees and Treasurer, head of Finance and Strategic Planning committee and fundraiser and since 2015 as a Trustee Emiratis.
In 2015 Adeline joined the board of i-tri, an organization that uses the sport of triathlon and the power of teambuilding, mentorship and relationship building to empower middle school age girls and help them develop lifelong habits and behaviors that promote healthy mental and physical health. Adeline is the Board of Trustees Treasurer and co-chair of the organizations Strategic Planning and Expansion Committee.
Adeline is a member of the Georgetown University Wall Street Alliance Board and Co-chair for Fundraising Georgetown Class of 1985. From 2000-2010, She has also served on two School Boards.
Adeline holds a B.S. in Foreign Service and International Finance and Commerce from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. She also holds executive and team coaching credentials from the Neuroleadership Insitute and The International Coaching Federation. She speaks fluent German. Presently, she resides in Sagaponack, New York.
Board Member David Powers lives in East Hampton with his wife and three daughters and works part-time as a consultant in the private equity industry. David is an avid triathlete having competed in triathlons since 2002. David competes in many of the local triathlons and has been the men’s overall winner of the RJA Mighty Montauk Triathlon three times and the Montauk Lighthouse Sprint Triathlon two times. He has also qualified for and competed in the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii. In 2013, the Old Montauk Athletic Club (OMAC) named David as its athlete of the year. Prior to his interest in triathlons, David was a swimmer and was a Masters National Champion in several backstroke events. David received Bachelors of Arts Degrees from Amherst College in both Mathematics and Economics. While at Amherst, David was named NCAA All-American in swimming and All-Division in water polo. David’s oldest daughter, Alden, who is a Senior at East Hampton High School, plays soccer and basketball, and runs competitively. She has also competed in the Hampton’s Youth Triathlon, directed by i-tri. David joined the Board of i-tri in 2016 and is a member of the Finance Committee.
Board Member
Dr. Terri Rauch has been a chiropractor serving the East End of Long Island for over 30 years. She has been an advocate for young girls for her entire career. She was the first women on the East Hampton Little League Board bringing the younger girls into the program.
She served as Board President of the Greater East Hampton Education Foundation and is longstanding member of the LVIS (Ladies Village Improvement Society).
Terri credits her father for empowering her along with her four sisters long before anyone ever thought that it was important. She feels that i-tri was her next natural step to honor her dad and empower more young girls! Terri lives in East Hampton, NY with her husband and two children.
Board Member Johanna Salazar is an Executive Producer and Co-Founder of Two Goats, an Immersive Creators Studio in NYC with an Award Winning team. With over 17 years of experience in TV Production, Content Strategy and Format Development, she has a history of launching Linear and Digital networks for US and Global Audiences. Johanna has produced and developed multi-million dollar shows, franchises and productions, integrated new and emerging technologies into creative storytelling, and loves making sense of data. As the Co-Founder of Two Goats, Johanna has overseen and developed work for NBCU, TELEMUNDO, EPIX, A&E, Food Network, BBC, Youtube, Cirque Du Soleil, Toyota, Sprint, Lamborghini, Audi, Land Rover, SONY Music, FIFA and many other brands and networks. Formerly, Vice President of Production Planning & Operations for the Content Management & Production Technologies Group at Viacom, for the following brands: MTV, VH1, LOGO, Comedy Central, SPIKE, CMT, TV Land & Paramount Network. In 2009, Johanna launched the Miami Chapter of Young Women Social Entrepreneurs and in 2010 received an MBA with a focus on International Business from Florida International University.
Chief Executive Officer Jennifer Thompson is the Chief Executive Officer of i-tri. She's a social worker, organizer and passionate advocate for girls. She graduated from Kansas State University with a B.S. in Social Work and obtained her MSW from Columbia University in 2005. Ms. Thompson has worked in the nonprofit and public sector for more than a decade, serving in programmatic, advocacy and management roles. She began her career at the NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission and served as a Sr. Adviser to Mayor Michael Bloomberg on a number of citywide initiatives including homeless services, affordable housing, transportation and infrastructure. In the nonprofit sector, she developed programs funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for young breast cancer survivors at Sharsheret, and served as the Chief Marketing & Communications Officer for Girl Scouts, where she led advocacy initiatives that included a collaboration with the office of the First Lady, Michelle Obama, and her initiative, Let Girls Learn. Prior to stepping into the role at i-tri, Ms. Thompson served as the Executive Director of the National Association of Social Workers in New Jersey and Delaware. Ms. Thompson resides in New Jersey with her husband, son and large bernedoodle Penelope. They are active in sports and their community, serving on committees engaged in social justice and race equity.
Chief Operations Officer Catharine Borzon is an accomplished organizational leader with experience in the corporate and nonprofit sectors partnering with “C” Suite Executives, Founders, Board members and management leadership teams responsible for strategic planning and business development. Catharine’s area of expertise is finance and operations serving in roles as Global CFO, Global Commercial Director and Strategy & Operations Consultant. She has experience in the digital marketing & communications industry as well as the nonprofit and social enterprise sectors. Earlier in her career she was a founding member of Neo@Ogilvy, a global performance marketing start-up within the WPP network. Catharine was a driving force behind turning Neo’s business goals into operational reality. During her tenure the business grew from 2 markets to +25 markets. Catharine has notable experience in leading negotiations with global Fortune 500 companies securing optimal terms with long term results. In addition to having an MBA, in 2018 she earned an MS Nonprofit Leadership. In 2019, she was selected to participate in the Robin Hood Foundation’s Leader Link program furthering her commitment to creating meaningful social change. Growing up on the south shore of Long Island, Catharine has a natural affinity to the ocean. She resides in East Hampton with her partner Marc and her rescue pups Lulu & Ella.
Program Director Alyssa Channin graduated from Long Island University C.W Post with a degree in Marketing. When she started training after college, she couldn’t run a mile without walking; now she runs half marathons. Training has made her stronger physically, but more importantly, mentally. Pushing her body to the limit has given her the mindset that there is no limit. She now knows, and stresses to the i-tri girls, that the only thing that limits us is our fears. Working for i-tri is a dream come true for her. She considers herself lucky that she gets to see the i-tri girls’ transformations both in the classroom and at practice. Watching the girls cross the finish line with big smiles on their faces was one of her proudest moments. During her free time Alyssa enjoys training for her own races, hanging out with friends and family, and practicing her new “i-tri dance moves”.
Athletic Director
Sharon McCobb is a lifelong athlete who finally found her calling. Ten years ago, she sold her business and became a personal trainer. She trains all age groups but was extremely lucky when she had the chance to get involved in two youth programs. The first was coaching the local swim team where she met some amazing young athletes, and the second was becoming the athletic director for a grant funded program called “healthy kids”. Somewhat like the i-tri program it worked on teaching the kids about physical activity and nutrition, and had an art therapist that did projects with the kids to help with their self-esteem.
She moved on to train the young athletes she had coached on the swim team to do their first triathlon. Most of the kids trained that first year are still with Sharon. Out of that program she had the idea that a youth triathlon was needed in the area. Kids wanted to get involved but were finding that the races were too long. Then along came Theresa Roden with her i-tri program. In order for Theresa’s program to go forward she needed to have the youth distance triathlon in place. Together, Sharon and Theresa organized the race and Theresa launched i-tri. Sharon was thrilled when she was asked to become the trainer for the program.
The i-tri program is the perfect combination of teaching all the things needed to race; physical activity, nutrition and confidence. What makes the program successful is the final goal of performing in a triathlon. A triathlon encompasses three lifelong sports. One can always swim, bike, and/or run!!
Program Leader
Ragan earned her degree in Public Health and Community Health Education from Stony Brook University and completed her Health Coach training from The Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Ragan has a great love for fostering wellness in the community. She is passionate about empowering others and helping to improve the physical and mental health of our younger generation and their parents alike.
After working for many years as the Wellness Coordinator at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital’s Ed & Phyllis Davis Wellness Institute, Ragan’s passion led her to promoting Wellness in our local schools with the Wellness Foundation.
If Ragan looks familiar, it’s likely because she grew up in Southampton and now lives there with her husband and three children. She and her family embrace a life of physical activity that includes team sports and excise, but her true passion is getting everyone outside and moving. She believes in the power of play and outdoor exploration and in keeping kids healthy and connected to nature.
Program Leader
Dianey Moreno was born, and lived most of her life, in Venezuela before moving to Southampton, NY with her husband and two sons in 2017. Leaving her country was one of the most difficult decisions of her life, however it was a necessary change. She is an elementary school teacher with a Master's in Educational Management. Her experience in the field of education spans 23 years. All of those years she worked in the community where she grew up with an educational project whose goal was to provide education to children without access to one. She started working with that program when it built its first classroom, and continued until it grew into a K-6 school serving over 1000 students.
At this school, Dianey worked in many posts including secretary, teacher, pedagogical coordinator, assistant principal and principal. In her community she is known for being a leader, something she picked up by participating in youth groups when she was growing up.
i-tri reminds her of the times when, as a teenager, she would attend meetings and workshops that other people had prepared for people like her. She later led some of these youth groups as well as support groups for women.
Moving to a new country has been a challenge for her, starting with learning a new language. Not being able to communicate easily has been one of the biggest challenges she has ever faced. Everything is very new to her, but that reminds her of something very important: that we never stop learning new things. We learn new things every day, and if we have to start something over, we go for it! Taking on new challenges takes courage, and she considers herself a very brave and capable person.
Dianey feels blessed with the opportunity to work with i-tri. She never thought she would be able to be part of such a spectacular organization that is so far away from where she has her roots!
Program Leader
Jill Raynor has benefited her whole life from a supportive community, and from older female role models on Eastern Long Island who’ve encouraged her in her athletic pursuits. As a result, she never questioned if she was or could be an athlete, and it is important to her to champion similar opportunities for young girls today. Jill reflects on her excitement for new adventures as being rooted in her physical activity. “It’s what makes me feel good. It’s what makes me confident. It’s what motivates me to eat healthy and drink water. And it’s been the cornerstone of my social network.” She counts herself fortunate to have been able to follow in the early years after Title IX knowing that she could try anything that interested her. This gave her the confidence to go to camps, play sports at the collegiate level, and continue to challenge herself as an adult both recreationally and professionally.
Jill has made her career in physical activity. She holds a dual BS in Movement & Sports Studies, and Psychology from Springfield College, and a Masters in Physical Education from Hofstra University, as well as extensive continuing education certifications from the American Red Cross. She earned tenure as a Physical Education Teacher, has taught swimming for 20 years and biking for 10 years. She has completed numerous half marathons, ranks in the top 5 field hockey officials in Suffolk County, and serves on the volunteer boards of both the Water Mill Community Club and Southampton Town Aquatics and Recreation.
Program Leader
Natalie Sisco was an elementary educator for 10 years before becoming a part of i-tri. In 2008, she traveled to Berlin, Germany where she taught 3rd grade at an International school for 2 years. While overseas, she completed her first marathon and has been an avid runner ever since.
Natalie is so excited to be a Program Leader for i-tri! She loves seeing the girls reach their potential through hard work and determination.
She lives in Southampton with her husband Ken, stepson Jem and son Ryan.
During her free time, Natalie loves going to the beach with her family.
Coach
Kelly Crowley is a practicing occupational therapist on the East end of Long Island, working mainly with the pediatric population in schools, home, and clinic. Kelly graduated from the University of Scranton with a masters of science in Occupational Therapy, and with additional academic pursuits in philosophy studies. Kelly has been a runner since she ran her first 5k race at the age of 12, but did not join any conventional running team or group until she was out of college. Kelly instead participated in basketball, soccer, and softball throughout her high school years, but always enjoyed going on a run with her mom between sports seasons.
After moving back home after Scranton, Kelly sought out a group of runners that she could work out with, and found a group of ladies (and a few men) who would meet up and do track work-outs. This is where Kelly met i-tri's athletic director, Sharon McCobb and learned about i-tri. Kelly's interest in helping youth find their personal physical outlets and also work on positive self-talk, body image, and other challenges facing youth today is why Kelly is so excited to join the iTri team. Kelly hopes to foster an environment where running isn't the punishment, but something people can learn about themselves from, and maybe during which have a few good conversations with friends along the way.
Coach Amanda Foscolo (Husslein) is a lifelong swimmer who has been a part of i-tri since 2009. Amanda was born into a family of lifeguards, competitive swimmers, and outdoor enthusiasts. She grew up spending many of her childhood days in pools and adventuring throughout the bays and ocean beaches all over Long Island. Amanda swam high school varsity for 8th-12th grade collecting numerous awards, including acting as team captain and assistant coach during her Junior & Senior years at LaSalle Military Academy. At age fourteen she began teaching at the original Saf-T-Swim swim school location in Bayshore, NY where her mother worked. It was there and then that she developed a passion for working with swimmers of all abilities, especially timid non-swimmers. Adapted aquatics, infants, adults with extreme fear, and coaching the competitive swim team soon became her specialty. She was first certified as an ocean lifeguard at the age of sixteen for the town of Ocean Beach on Fire Island. Over the years she has been certified in pool, bay, ocean, boat, kayak, Jet Ski, and Ice rescue. Since her first open water race in 2008, Amanda has grown into an Ultra Marathon Competitive swimmer and travels nationally & internationally with her fifteen year old daughter Sierra Davidson (an i-tri Alumni & Coach) to compete in distances as great as 20K. She is a confident leader with a heart of gold and determination that never quits.
Coach
Diane O’Donnell was born in New York, New York, but has lived on the East End of Long Island since she was 7 years old. She loves i-tri, because when she spends time with these girls she sees herself. Diane did not participate in any organized athletics, other than gym class, until she was 27 years old. She was encouraged to run by her husband, Bill, who was a lifelong runner, but never thought she would come to enjoy running and other sports as much as she has.
Diane is married and a mother of four; three girls and one boy, all grown and out of the house. The children grew up as athletes, and continue to exercise, and sometimes compete. This is one of her proudest accomplishments: her children.
In Diane’s own athletic career, some highlights are running 14 marathons, including 6 NYC Marathons, 2 Boston Marathons, with a PR of 3:29:26 set at NYC in 1991, as a masters athlete. She has run numerous triathlons, beginning in 1983 with the then Mighty Hamptons, 1.5 mile swim, 25 mile bike, 10 mile run. Since then Diane has lost count of the number of races she’s participated in, but also did two Half-Ironman triathlons, as well as off road triathlon, duathlon, running, orienteering and adventure races.
At present, she coaches girls’ running at East Hampton High School, a position she has held for 24 years. Some of her proudest moments come when meeting girls she hasn’t seen since they graduated high school who come back to say they are still running. This is a lifetime accomplishment.
Diane is also a volunteer EMT-CC, with the East Hampton Village Ambulance.
Coach
Kelly Roesel has been teaching swimming at all levels for the past 28 years and has taught high school science/special education on the East End for the past 22 years. This past year she was instrumental in the creation of our “Science of Triathlon Curriculum.” Before having children, she was also the assistant coach for the girls Varsity track team where she teaches.
While a lifelong runner and swimmer, Kelly began her triathlon career in 2012 competing in the Turbo Tri, a past fundraiser for the i-tri program. She is currently training to compete in her first half Ironman this upcoming tri season.
Nutritionist Hailey P. London MS, RD, The Nutrition Dragon, provides inventive workshops for families, schools and children on making healthy food choices; simply, easily and affordably. In addition, she is the Health and Wellness Educator at Ross School in East Hampton NY, assisting in the develop one of the most innovative and celebrated local and organic school food program in the world. The Nutrition Dragon, also provides gardening, nutrition and culinary education for Project Most’s, Springs Seedlings Program at Springs School and the i-tri Girls inspirational Triathlon program, now in ten local schools. Hailey London (Nutrition Dragon) is a contributing author and childhood nutrition expert for “Lunch Lessons: Changing the Way We Feed Our Children” with world renowned school lunch expert, Ann Cooper, as well as a former research author for Joy Bauer, globally recognized celebrity Dietitian. She has received awards from The NY State Assembly for bridging the gap between schools and farms and for excellence in Nutrition Education.
Office Assistant Shauna St Hill is an Office Assistant at i-tri with experience in the corporate world as well as the nonprofit sector serving in various operational and administrative roles. Shauna plays a critical role in streamlining and supporting i-tri’s day-to-day financial, organizational and development efforts. From her High School days as a competitive track & field team member, running remains a passion for Shauna. In her professional role, Shauna enjoys being part of a team and enjoys applying technology to improve and enable the organization.
Program Coordinator Samantha holds an undergraduate degree in Art History and Religious Studies from Bates College (Lewiston, Maine) and a master's degree in Art History from The Courtauld Institute (University of London). After returning to New York and working at Sotheby’s Auction House, she realized that the art world wasn’t for her. In 2015 she became a certified personal trainer, eventually becoming a top performing fitness and lifestyle management coach and mentor at Equinox Tribeca. She currently runs her own personal training business. She has competed in powerlifting, and loves to teach women the importance of lifting heavy and feeling strong in body and spirit. Samantha became involved with triathlon on a whim, a dare from a client, after taking some swim lessons in 2019 to learn to swim for fitness. Her first triathlon was a disaster, but she was blown away by the kindness and warmth of the triathlon community. She was instantly hooked and has since competed in dozens of multisport events. She feels fortunate to live in Southampton and to have unrestricted access to the open water. As a swim coach, her favorite thing is to see the i-tri girls gain confidence in the pool and translate that to the open water, a necessary skill for living on Long Island. Of all the hats she wears, coaching the i-tri girls and seeing them grow stronger, physically and emotionally, is her favorite. Samantha is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach, USAT Certified Triathlon Coach, and Precision Nutrition 2 Coach and has been published in Bustle and Runner’s World. She's an advocate for inclusivity in triathlon through her role on the USA Triathlon Foundation Ambassadors' leadership committee. Samantha is on Team USA (age group) and is excited to represent the USA at the Multisport World Championships in Australia in 2024.
