Photo courtesy Boston Athletic Association The Race to Caster
May 7, 2023 – I visited the world’s most famous racecourse twice this past May. The first time, my legs were on fire. I could feel a rather sizable blister forming on my left foot. The sun bore down on me and thousands of my fellow runners as we took part in the “Greatest Spectacle in Running,” the Indy Mini-Marathon. This race marks the traditional kickoff to May in Indianapolis, which concludes with the Indy 500.
On that day, every fiber in my being wanted to stop. I am a dedicated runner who has managed some respectable finish times for someone in their mid-40s with no athletic ability whatsoever.
As the aches spread to the point I wondered if Advil-laced shampoo was a thing, I came to the realization I had run this race five times in person and once in my subdivision during the height of the pandemic (note: 0/10 – do not recommend):
I had nothing left to prove.
I finished the half-marathon in two hours, 23 minutes, my slowest race in almost a decade. I ran across the finish line, got my medal, took a celebratory photo, and began to limp back to the shuttle to the parking lot. I had finished and that’s all that mattered. Despite feeling like I’d been mowed down by a double-decker bus, I finished that race with my head held high.
While we often hear how life is a marathon and not a sprint, sometimes the circumstances require you to put the metaphorical pedal to the metal. In my case, my sprint began on the morning of my second visit to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Visit Two: May 28, 2023 – The 107th Running of the Indy 500
That Sunday began much like the first Saturday of the month – steamy with a sizable chance of sunburn. I’d be logging far fewer miles on that day, but my feet would be just as sore by the end. The prime difference was an early-morning tailgate hosted by my close friend and former broadcast partner Dan. It was over breakfast burritos and Bloody Marys that I met Olivia Sellke.
By the time we made the trek to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, I’d had an impromptu job interview and a text promising to get ahold of me after the holiday weekend.
I crossed the finish line when I accepted the role of Account Supervisor with Caster in early June.
While the green flag waved on that section of my lifelong ultramarathon, so to speak, my training for this next challenge has been on-going for decades.
Where Did the Road to Caster Actually Start?
I was the Digital Marketing Coordinator and Content and SEO Specialist for Klipsch Audio and the brands under the Premium Audio Company umbrella for nearly four years. Just type the word “subwoofer” into a Google Search and you’ll find a reference to a certain popular song from Meghan Trainor. I then spent nearly a year at an Indianapolis-based marketing agency as a copywriter while alternately freelancing for an audio dealer. In a way, I never truly left the consumer electronics space.
The Radio Years
Truthfully, my connection to the industry began at the tender age of 16, when I became a radio show host as a 16-year-old community volunteer at WSND-FM, the public radio station at the University of Notre Dame. Getting my foot in that door holds a similar amount of serendipity to me finding my way to Caster.
My immediate post-college career was 11 years as a radio journalist, including seven years on-air in Indianapolis and three years at WWL-AM in New Orleans, one of the oldest radio stations in the country and the flagship of the New Orleans Saints Radio Network. I was a correspondent for the network during the 2002 and 2003 regular seasons, producing a feature each week where I’d travel with the team for their work in the community.
During my time as a broadcaster, I received the 2003 Regional Edward R. Murrow Award, the 2002 Louisiana Associated Press Award for “Best Sports Report,” and the Indiana Associated Press “Reporter of the Year” Award in 2007.
The PR Years
I also developed PR savvy as the Media Relations Coordinator for Naptown Roller Derby for several years, snagging two mayoral proclamations and many bruises as a skater during that time. I was also the Media Relations Coordinator for the largest Krampus parade in North America in 2021, just down the road in Bloomington, Indiana. The event was featured in the “Smithsonian Folklore” magazine and set an attendance record in its final year in 2021.
I like to keep things interesting in every section of this long and winding road.
Always Racing to Victory
As you’ve probably guessed, I love to run. I am also a second-degree blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. I am passionate about music, the New Orleans Saints, “Star Wars,” Snoopy, and traveling. I also own a very accurate Bart Simpson impression.
While I am just finding my footing and starting to quicken my pace with Caster, I am looking forward to many victory laps and podium finishes with our clients.