We are excited to introduce you to our 2012 ZOOMA Great Lakes Ambassadors. This is a select group of ladies who are influential both online and in their personal running communities. They will be helping us keep our runners informed, inspired and motivated. These ladies all have different running backgrounds, but they share a passion for empowering women through running.

Amy Bax

Amy Bax is a 20-something girl who enjoys running and baking her way through life in Chicago, IL. Her blog is random in nature and reflects her attempts at a quirky spin on healthy living while having fun on a budget. You can read all about it at SecondCityRandomness.wordpress.com.

Courtney Franson

Courtney Franson runs for many reasons, the top three being health, fun and friends. She has made life long friends in the running community. She describes herself as a runner, nanny extraordinaire, disney aficianodo, and wine loving TV addict. Join Courtney on her journey to a healthier lifestyle while she balances life, work, school, and training on her blog RunCourtRun.com.

Macia Kadens

Marcia Kadens is a stay-at-home-mom who, as part of a mid-life challenge, decided to run a marathon for kicks. She didn’t plan on it becoming a hobby, but it did. Marcia qualified for Boston at her second marathon and slipped into the running vortex. She has completed 6 full marathons and countless other distance races. You can follow this running, cycling, chocolate loving mother at MarciasHealthySlice.com.

Kimberly

Kimberly is from the Milwaukee area and has run everything from 5K’s to full marathons to 200 mile relays. Her favorite distance is the half marathon. She recently gained Half Fanatic status by completing three half marathons within 90 days. Her goal in all events is to complete it with a smile on her face, her main focus is fun. She has a strong yoga practice and hopes to someday become a certified yoga instructor. You can read about how she juggles her races, raising an 11 year old daughter and finding time for yoga on her blog OutsideMyHead.com.

Jess McMullin

Jess McMullin fell in love with running while trying to lose baby weight. Running soon became more than just a way to lose weight, it has changed her life. She challenges herself each year with new events and while she mainly runs for happiness she certainly wouldn’t turn down a PR if it came her way. Jess is an Air Force wife, marathoning momma of two who journals her running adventures at RunWithJess.com. 

Laima Palubinskas

Laima Palubinskas is a stay at home mother to four children. Her main focus in life is keeping her family active and eating well. She runs for her health and sanity. She enjoys any sport that gets her outdoors and keeps her moving. Laima is the author of the family, food and fitness blog Women’s Endurance Gear.

Meghan Schacht

 Meghan Schacht is a teacher and blogger with a deep passion for fitness. While she has always been active, Meghan began her true journey in 2007 when a friend suggested she sign up for an 8K. What was once a hobby quickly became a lifestyle, and Meghan has run countless 5K’s, 8K’s and half-marathons since. Her next goal is to tackle the full marathon while continuing to lead a healthy lifestyle and motivate others. You can find her discussing all of the above on her blog, The Perfect Compilation Tape.

Kimberly Skaff

Kimberly Skaff is a 27-year-old living in a Chicago suburb with her husband and cat. She works in the design industry (architecture), follows a vegan lifestyle, and is addicted to running! Kimberly started running in 2006 because she wanted to lose weight, but quickly caught the running bug and has been running ever since. She has completed marathons and is now contemplating her first ultra distance. You can follow her journey at IlaxStudio.com/blog.

Bobbi Welch

Bobbi Welch became a runner in a rather unorthodox way – she signed up for a marathon so that she was forced to train. She fell in love with running while training for that marathon. Running soon became a “need” instead of a chore. Around the time she fell in love with running she also fell head over heels for blogging and credits the online community for the formation of many of her friendships. Bobbi is a stay at home mother to four amazing kids, you can find out more about her at ZeroT026Point2.blogspot.com.

Maggie Wolff

Born and raised in the Chicago area, Maggie Wolff began her running journey in January 2010, at the encouragement of her best friend Vera. Previously, Maggie’s sports of choice were swimming, soccer, volleyball and dance. In May 2010, she finished her first half marathon, which taught her a lot not just about running, but about herself. She plans to run her first marathon this fall. You can follow her training at MagMileRunner.com