OUR COACHES

Kat Sweet

President, CEO, Sweetlines

  • IMBA, Instructor Trainer, 2014
  • Level 3 IMIC Certified Coach
  • Level 2 IMBA, ICP, 2010
  • Endless Biking, Level 1 Coach, 2009
  • United Bicycle Institution, Certified Mechanic, 2008
  • USA Cycling Coach, 2007
  • League of American Bicyclists Certified Instructor, 2007

Additional Experience

  • Over 20 years of mountain bike experience, competing at the local, state, and national level; training fitness, strength, and technical skills while pushing mental and physical limits.
  • Professional Mountain Bike Racer & Ski Competitor, 1990’s
  • Expert National Downhill Champion, 1998
  • TaeKwonDo: 2nd Red Belt, 2009

Karen O’Connell

  • High school math teacher
  • Teacher trainer
  • Pro downhill mountain bike racer
  • Raffle fanatic
  • Mom

Nickname: Drop Boss

Biggest Drop Hit: Girthmore Drop at Beacon Hill in Spokane (17′ tall)

MEG VALLIANT

  • From: Seattle, WA
  • Years Riding Mountain Bikes: 16
  • Years riding BMX: 31
  • Years Coaching: 3
  • Certifications: ICP Level 2

Comp Highlights:

  • 3rd Pro, Sugar Showdown Santa Cruz ’14
  • 1st Semi-Pro,  Sugar Showdown Duthie Hill ’13
  • 5th Pro, The Little Big at Truckee ’13
  • 1st Sea otter Dual Slalom ’11
  • # 3 plate , NBL, Cruiser Class 25-30, California ’07
  • 3rd 4x Nationals ’06

ETC:

  • Favorite Trails: Flow trails, Duthie hill, Joauquin Miller park, Valmont, Alameda Skatepark
  • Favorite Tricks: Jammin Salmon!, Table top, Flow & style
  • Favorite Quote:  “…those mattresses are only going to cause you to wipeout.”
  • Theme Song:  I love TV theme songs, The Fall Guy, the Munsters, Ateam, greatest american hero, etc.  I always have the Rad soundtrack on my ipod
  • Role Model and Why?  How can you pick just one? each brings a new piece to the puzzle on the path that makes me who i am.

Heather Allen

  • Nicknames: Heather Feather, Heather-Nator
  • Years Riding Mountain Bikes: 5
  • Years Coaching: 3
  • Certifications: NREMT, CDL
  • Favorite Trails: Whole Enchilada, Bartlett Wash (and more in Moab), Post Canyon, Sandy Ridge, 27, Duthie Hill
  • Favorite Quote: “I don’t want salvation, I want life, all of life, the miserable as well as the superb.”
  • Theme Song: Wildcat by Ratatat
  • Role Model and Why? I have a lot of great people in my life, I’m lucky to have a lot of role models who share their wisdom, integrity, adventure, skills, fun, food, and love.

Teaching Experience:

  • 13 years of teaching experience
  • 7 years elementary school Extended Day program and classroom substitute
  • 1 year Outdoor Science School
  • 1 year Middle/High school Sexual Health Education
  • Favorite part of teaching: Empowering students and seeing excitement in their accomplishments

Elena Runyan

  • Nickname: Elle
  • Years Riding Mountain Bikes: 9
  • Years Coaching: 1 / Assistant Coaching: 3
  • Teaching Experience: I have been teaching at the preschool and LRC2 (special education) class at my high school for 2 years. I also have taken a year of teaching academy and interned at the Beaver Lake Middle School physical science class for a semester.
  • Favorite Part of Teaching: I love everything about teaching! My favorite part is seeing students succeed at something they were struggling at or scared to do before (with a little nudge from me 🙂 and watching how proud and happy they are afterward. Wether it is nailing a bike jump, solving a math problem, or putting a puzzle together, those smiles are what I live for.
  • Comp Results: 1st in state varsity girls cross country, national qualifier.  Gold in regionals and state at the FCCLA (family career and community leaders of America) leadership competition.
  • Favorite Trails: Brave heart (Duthie), Off the Grid (Tiger), Predator (Tiger), and Palisades.
  • Favorite Quote: “A simple act of kindness creates an endless ripple”
  • Role Model: Kat Sweet! She has overcame great adversity and does not let anything stop her from changing the world! I am going to make a huge difference someday too, and bikes are the best way to do just that!
  • I am excited to see you all on the trails this summer!

.

Kris Christensen

Years Coaching: 5

Instructional Experience

  • BICP Level 1
  • PSIA Level 1 and Adaptive Level 1
  • Nationally renowned adaptive cycling and adaptive mountain bike coach
  • Disabled Sports USA trainer and presenter on adaptive cycling and mountain biking, risk management procedures, rural programing, and program generation
  • Adaptive recreation instruction in climbing, kayaking and skiing

Additional Experience and Information

  • Pro DH and Enduro racer
  • 5th Cat 1 25-29 USAC Nationals, Mammoth Mountain 2015
  • 3rd place overall NW Cup 2015, Cat 1 19-29
  • Years racing: 10
  • Years riding: 16
  • Aspiring dog owner

Favorites

  • Favorite Riding Areas: Whistler, Squamish, Ski Bowl, Bend
  • Favorite Tricks: going fast
  • Favorite Quote: “I woke up like this” Beyonce
  • Theme Song: anything from the Top Gun soundtrack or “Loud Places” Jamie xx
  • Role Model: My badass 89-year old grandma Doris

DONALD REDMON