Winter All Stars

Runner of the Month: The Polar Bear

As the official mascot of the Polar Bear Run and Plunge event, the Polar Bear was excited to finally get to challenge the runners in the 5k race. She trained for months, aiming to make her wild polar bear counterparts proud! She cruised through the course at an average pace of 9 mph (6:51 minute/mile), letting 12 runners finish ahead of her to win prizes in the Race The Polar Bear Challenge. “Who is the Polar Bear!?” Was the question runners exclaimed between breaths at the finish line. Well, the secret is finally out. Sophie Anders, runner extraordinaire from the Front Range Elite women’s racing team is always up for any running challenge, especially when it means wearing a costume! Thank you for coming out of hibernation, Polar Bear! You were an amazing addition to the Polar Bear 5k!

Volunteer of the Month: Niki Veldman

Niki Veldman, personal trainer at Raintree Athletic Club, is well known in the local running and fitness community. She and her daughter have volunteered for our last two events, the Polar Bear Run and Plunge and Run Love 5k/10k, sharing the gift of her time and positive vibes with participants.

Her instagram post below says it all and we couldn’t be more grateful for such an amazing volunteer and the passion behind her service to the community she loves!

“A goal this year is to be a better steward to this incredible racing & running community. For a community that fills my cup **both figuratively and literally** it’s about returning the love.
That will look like volunteering at more races than I plan to run in, more @athletesintandem racing, crewing my running friends on their escapades….Might as well flex my favorite love languages: acts of service and words of affirmation.”

See this post as a reminder:
-to serve in the communities that bring you joy
-service comes in an endless number of ways
-this is me extending an offer to give my time, just a warning is it’s often a 2 for 1 deal.

So this past Saturday morning we spent a couple of hours sharing the love with @greeneventscolorado for the Love Run 5k/10k race.”

– Niki’s Instagram, February 14, 2023

Ambassador of the Month: Tammy Felton

When Tammy received her acceptance letter for the 2023 Green Events Ambassador team, she took it and RAN with it, volunteering for multiple positions at both the Polar Bear 5k and the Run Love 5k and 10k. She is always ready to lend a hand, share words of encouragement, and cheer on participants and fellow volunteers. Tammy is a long-standing card-carrying member of the running community who is aiming to complete the Crested Butte Ultra and Imogene Pass races this year. When she is not running or lifting to stay physically fit you can find her flexing her mind studying for her law degree. Thank you for all of your hard work, Tammy! It does not go unnoticed, and we love all of your effort and smiles on event day!