Making the Team: 2008 Update

We've received a deluge of fantastic essays for the third and final Making the Team: 2008 slot, and it's been an epic undertaking to narrow it down to our top three applicants. We'd like to extend a big thanks to Inside Triathlon Magazine for their partnership in this search, as well as to all the athletes who took the time and effort to apply.

In a few short days we'll be announcing our final 2008 selection, and extending an official invititation to the big race of '08, The Steelhead 70.3. The after race party on the shores of Lake Michigan will be one for the history books, so if you're in the area be sure to join the members Team Evotri, friends, and sponsors in welcoming aboard our newest recruit!

Stay tuned for information on how you can participate, and of course, for the long awaited announcement of who makes the team.

2008 Contest #3

Today is the day, if you haven't sent in your Inside Triathlon essay of 500 words or less explaining why you should be the next member of Team Evotri, please do so before 11:59 PM PST tonight. Essays will be reviewed until mid-July, at which time we may request a phone interview before making the final decision, along with the team sponsors. If you have submitted your essay already, please make sure that you have access to the email account from which you sent it in case we'd like to call you.

And if you haven't, what are you waiting for? Let us know you have what it takes to make the team!

Do You Have What it Takes?

The deadline is drawing near for all those who would like to become the newest member of Team Evotri, who has proudly partnered with Inside Triathlon Magazine in announcing their third and final contest for the 2008 tri season.

The print article with all the contest guidelines is on the stands now, and you can also check out the bonus online article here!

All entries are due June 20th; do you have what it takes to make the team?

Making the Team: Contest #3 Hits Inside Triathlon!

As the season officially gets into full swing, Team Evotri is proud to partner with Inside Triathlon Magazine in announcing their third contest for the 2008 tri season.

The print article with all the contest guidelines will be in the new June issue, which hits the stands next week. Be sure to also check out the bonus online article here!

All entries due June 20th; do you have what it takes to make the team?

Congratulations and Welcome!

Once again here we are, how exciting to be at the finish line awarding another team slot for Making the Team: 2008! After many tallied votes, you, the community at large, gave us the top three candidates: Shirley, Sara, and Brian, who were interviewed by the members of Team Evotri in an effort to learn more about their visions for expanding and enriching the endurance sport community.

While all the ideas presented by the three finalists were very good, after much discussion among all the members of Team Evotri, it was unanimous which idea fit best, and which finalist would best further the Team Evotri mission.

Sara with husband, Matt, and brand new son Jackson.

Our congratulations go out to Sara Ziemnik, whom we'd like to welcome aboard as the next member of Team Evotri! Please take a moment and listen for yourselves to her outstanding ideas and feelings regarding focusing on the youth in our communities. What better way to enrich our sport than to plant the seeds for its future! Team Evotri is excited to start working in synergy with both the team sponsors and the endurance sport community to develop and deliver a youth triathlon program.

Once again, a big thanks to all those who participated in both applying and voting for the second Making the Team: 2008 slot. Your efforts have been commendable.

Details regarding the final Making the Team: 2008 position to be announced soon!

Voting Extended!

Here we are at what would be the end of the voting for the second Making the Team: 2008 contest, however, it's come to the team's attention that some of the contestants have run into a few technical issues with the voting link code.

For this reason, these individuals were granted permission to send out emails to their friends and family requesting that they vote instead of having to go through the provided, but defunct, link. As this was an option for those individuals, we want to make sure that the contest is fair for everyone by extending the voting period for another week in order to give everyone the opportunity to take advantage of sending out personal emails.

All current votes will still be counted, and votes will continue to be counted only once. We feel the extended week's voting should level the playing field, as well as give everyone the chance to enjoy the holiday weekend.

Voting will continue through March 28th, 11:59 PM PST. We will feature the top three sites here on Evotri.com, and announce the winner of the contest on Wednesday, April 1, 2008. Thanks to all for participating, and good luck!

Voting Begins!

With one new team member added and two more to go, Team Evotri is excited to kick off the voting for the second Making the Team: 2008 contest. It will open tomorrow, March 15th, and close at 11:59 PM PST on Friday, March 21.

If you haven't already done so, please send the URL of your blog or web site in the subject line of an email to makingtheteam@evotri.com. After we receive your URL, we'll send you the code you'll need to add to your post in order to enable your readers to vote for your Making the Team: 2008 endeavor.

Click here for more details on what this post should include, as well as for the interview topic you should be ready to discuss if you're selected as one of the three finalists.

Good luck!

Making the Team: 2008 - Contest #2

Welcome to the second Making the Team: 2008 contest! For our number two slot, we’d like to take this opportunity to invite the entire endurance sport community to join the team. We’re not only looking for one sponsored athlete to help grow our sport and community, but for Evotri ambassadors from around the world as well. Please take a moment to review the opportunities for team involvement below:

EVOTRI AMBASSADOR:
If you have an interest in being part of the evolution of endurance sport, as well as in connecting all endurance athletes in ways that facilitate working together to give back to the community in various ways, we want YOU! If you're enthusiastic, generous, and interested in becoming a vehicle for growth in our sport, and most importantly, if you're passionate about the lifestyle we lead, please send your name, state of residence, and link to your blog or web site if applicable (we will send you official membership graphics for your site) to team@evotri.com. You will then be listed here on our team web site, as well as among the first included in all our future team projects, contests and opportunities. When composing your email, please write "Membership" in the subject line.

EVOTRI SPONSORED ATHLETE:
If you are interested in becoming the next Team Evotri sponsored athlete, please take the first step by starting a blog or web site if you don’t already have one. We firmly believe that even if you are not chosen for the one sponsored slot, you will still greatly benefit from being part of the community that has connected and enriched so many endurance sport athletes' lives, including our own. To get started, please visit one of the many free hosting sites available such as: blogger.com, wordpress.com, or typepad.com just to name a few. Next, write a post entitled "Making the Team: 2008". Please write 500 words or less that best illustrate your personality and commitment to the endurance sport community. You may include video clips, photos, audio files, and various graphics, but please do not worry about the design elements of the blog or web site, as we are primarily interested in your message.

Please finish your site and post by March 15, 2008 and send the URL of your blog or web site in the subject line of an email to makingtheteam@evotri.com. After we receive your URL, we'll send you the code you'll need to add to your post in order to enable your readers to vote for your Making the Team: 2008 endeavor. Voting will begin on March 15th and close on March 21st at 11:59 PM PST.

The three people with the most votes received by March 21st will be featured on the Evotri web site, and will be contacted for an interview by the team. The purpose of this interview will be to discuss each of the three individual's vision for giving back to the endurance sport community. Regarding this vision, please have in mind an original project, gathering, or event, etc. that has yet to be launched, and that would bring the endurance community together either physically or virtually in the spirit of our sport. Current Team Evotri members host such events as the Simply Stu World Wide Triathlon, WIBA, and the brand new Run the World, for example. After taking each post and interview into consideration, the current team members and their sponsors will select one of these three finalists as the newest Team Evotri sponsored athlete on March 24, 2008.

We look forward to visiting your blogs and web sites, and to learning more about you. Good luck everyone!

*Winners of the team slots forfeit all awards should they be unable to continue as a team member for any reason for a period of two years.

*Winners of the team slots agree to maintain a personal web site or blog documenting their training and racing experience for as long as they are members of Team Evotri.

*Winners of the team slots agree to attend the WIBA training weekend in Madison, Wisconsin in June, 2008, and race Steelhead 70.3 in August, 2008.

Welcome to the Team!

Well folks the day has arrived. We had a fantastic turnout with our first contest, and would like to thank all the people who both participated and supported the candidates. Thanks to you, we have a brand new fully sponsored member of Team Evotri!

Please join us in welcoming Charlie Parsiola, and enjoy listening to his reaction upon hearing the news as much as we did by clicking here. Also be sure to read a special message from him below. We'll get his bio up on this site over the course of the next few days, but in the meantime, Charlie, welcome to the team! We’re looking forward to a long and exciting season with you and your family on board.

From left to right, Charlie, his daughters Catherine, Claire, Anne Lee, Signe, and his wife, Lisa.

"I am absolutely thrilled to be chosen to join the Evotri team!! I'm also humbled to have been selected from a pool of such extraordinary, giving, deserving individuals.

I am so blessed to have the support of family, friends, the entire Morgan City community, and so many other individuals who voted. I hope I'm able to somehow give back to the endurance community as much as I have already received in this competition. I'm looking so forward to my journey with my fellow Evotri team members!!"

We'd also like to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of all the entrants and invite all who submitted videos, as well as all of you, to be among the first to join our mission for the growth and evolution of the endurance sport community. We'll explain the details soon when we announce the second Making the Team: 2008 contest, so please stay tuned.

Final Four Voting Reminder

Tonight's the night! Please be sure to cast your vote for the next fully sponsored member of Team Evotri no later than 11:59 PM PST. Once again, to ensure tally accuracy, please write the name of your candidate and "Final Round" in the subject line of your email to vote@evotri.com.

Congratulations to all who made it to the final four. Tomorrow we'll invite one of you to Chicago for your baseline testing at the Vision Quest Headquarters - good luck everyone!

Making the Team: 2008 - Final Round Voting

Happy Sunday everyone, and welcome to the home stretch of the Making the Team: 2008 first contest. Once again the endurance community, their friends, family (and still a few stubborn alter egos) have spoken, and we have narrowed the field down to the top four candidates. One of these four, depending on your vote, will be the next fully sponsored member of Team Evotri.

We know it's been a lot of work not only creating the videos, but rallying the troops thus far, and we once again appreciate and applaud everyone's efforts. Even though not all videos will advance at this time, we certainly welcome and encourage contestants to throw their swim caps back in the water for the subsequent Making the Team: 2008 contest(s).

And now, are you ready for your finalists? Their voting tallies have once again been reset to zero. As in the first two rounds, please be sure to base your voting on how thoroughly each individual addresses the following questions:

1. How will you benefit the team if you're chosen? What are your personal attributes?

2. How have you, and how do you plan to give back to the endurance sport community? Nothing is too insignificant, list it all.

3. Why tri? Please be as creative as possible in explaining why you are passionate about triathlon and endurance sport?

Carrie Barrett


Commodore


Sarah McKibben


Charlie Parsiola

Final round voting will continue until 11:59 PM PST Friday, February 29, 2008. In addition to all first-time voters, if you voted in round one or round two, you may vote again at this time. Please be advised only one vote per person will be counted. Do not vote multiple times, for multiple candidates or from multiple email addresses. The single video of the featured four that has received the most unique votes will be the next fully sponsored member of Team Evotri, and will be announced on March 1, 2008.

To ensure tally accuracy, please write the name of your candidate and "Final Round" in the subject line of your email to vote@evotri.com. All videos are featured in alphabetical order.

Thank you for your help, and good luck to everyone!

Making the Team: 2008 - Round Two Voting

Welcome to round two of the Making the Team: 2008 contest! Well it's certainly been an exciting few days, hasn't it? The endurance community, their friends, family, and plethora of alter egos have spoken, and while we appreciate everyone's creativity, unfortunately, we were only able to count each person's vote once.

All votes were individually assessed and routed to eliminate duplicates, and the candidates with the most combined votes after these measures were applied will now advance. We greatly appreciate everyone's participation, and applaud the efforts of each contestant and their team of supporters. Remember, in the event a candidate does not advance to the next round of voting, he or she is welcomed and encouraged to participate in the subsequent Making the Team: 2008 contest(s).

And now, we present your round two crew. Their voting tallies have been reset to zero. As in the first round, please be sure to base your voting on how thoroughly each individual addresses the following questions:

1. How will you benefit the team if you're chosen? What are your personal attributes?

2. How have you, and how do you plan to give back to the endurance sport community? Nothing is too insignificant, list it all.

3. Why tri? Please be as creative as possible in explaining why you are passionate about triathlon and endurance sport?

Carrie Barrett


Commodore


Jonah Holland


Ryan Lockhart


Sarah McKibben


Charlie Parsiola


Meredith Turnquist

Round two voting will continue until 11:59 PM PST Saturday, February 23, 2008. In addition to all first-time voters, if you voted in round one, you may vote again at this time. Please be advised only one vote per person will be counted. Do not vote multiple times, or for multiple candidates. The four videos of the featured seven that have received the most unique votes will advance to the next round.

To ensure tally accuracy, please write the name of your candidate and "Round Two" in the subject line of your email to vote@evotri.com. All videos are featured in alphabetical order.

Good luck, everyone!

Making the Team: 2008 - Round One Voting

Welcome to round one voting of the first Making the Team: 2008 contest. Before we begin, Team Evotri and their sponsors would like to extend the utmost thanks to all those who submitted videos. It was definitely a tough decision; we know a lot of work went into each submission, and we greatly appreciate your time and effort.

The top ten selections have been made based on how thoroughly each candidate addressed the contest questions, and are featured here for community vote. If your video is not among the ten, please know that you are welcomed and encouraged to submit an entry for the remaining two contests, the next of which we'll announce on March 1st when we also announce the winner of the first team slot.

And now, tell us who YOU think best answers the contest questions below by sending an email to vote@evotri.com with the name of the entrant in the subject line. As we're expecting a deluge of voting, for efficiency purposes emails will not be opened. You may only vote once, multiple votes from the same email address will not be counted.

Please be sure to base your voting on how thoroughly each individual addresses the following questions:

1. How will you benefit the team if you're chosen? What are your personal attributes?

2. How have you, and how do you plan to give back to the endurance sport community? Nothing is too insignificant, list it all.

3. Why tri? Please be as creative as possible in explaining why you are passionate about triathlon and endurance sport?

Michelle Alswager


Carrie Barrett


Commodore


Jonah Holland


Ryan Lockhart


Sarah McKibben


Charlie Parsiola


Shirley Pratt


Syd Trefiak


Meredith Turnquist

Round one voting will continue until 11:59 PM PST Wednesday, February 20, 2008. The seven videos of the featured ten that have received the most votes will advance to the next round. All videos are featured in alphabetical order.

Good luck everyone!

Team Slot #1

Good morning boys and girls, and welcome to the first day of the first round of voting for the newest member of Team Evotri. We are currently finalizing the list of candidates, so please check back soon for voting instructions. In the meantime, please review the questions below so that you're ready to assess the videos by how well each candidate answers them, and again, thanks for being part of the evolution!

1. How will you benefit the team if you're chosen? What are your personal attributes?

2. How have you, and how do you plan to give back to the endurance sport community? Nothing is too insignificant, list it all.

3. Why tri? Please be as creative as possible in explaining why you are passionate about triathlon and endurance sport?

Final Call

The final call for Making the Team: 2008 video submission is upon us. Finish up those final tweaks ladies and gentlemen, by 11:59 p.m. tonight we need to have received your You Tube link.

Tune in Monday, February 18 to view the top ten videos and cast YOUR vote for the next member to Team Evotri.

Good luck everyone!

Making the Team: 2008 Contest #1 Checklist

Just a few days left to get your video in for the first round of the Making the Team: 2008 Contest! Be sure to:

1.Upload your video with plenty of time (at least 24 hours) for it to appear on You Tube before the contest deadline of 11:59 p.m., Friday, February 15.

2. Send your You Tube link to MakingTheTeam@evotri.com before the deadline of 11:59 p.m., Friday, February 15.

3. Remember to entitle your videos with your name, and Making the Team: 2008. We've received several videos without the specfied tagging, and want to be sure all entries are included in the selection process. Don't risk your video getting lost in cyberspace, please tag it appropriately. If you do not receive an email confirmation that we've received your link, please resend.

Tune in to Evotri.com on February 18th to see the top ten videos, then email YOUR pick for the first team slot to Vote@evotri.com.

Round one voting will run from Monday, 2/18/08 to Wednesday, 2/20/08, and will determine the top seven videos. These will go on to round two voting, beginning Thursday, 2/21/08 and running through Saturday, 2/23/08. On Sunday the 24th the top four videos will kick off the final round of voting, which will run from Monday, 2/24/08 to Friday, 2/29/08.

Only one will make the team, and the choice will be yours!

Contest #1 Countdown

Well ladies and gentlemen, the clock is ticking and camcorders are buzzing, some in the final phases of edit and others just warming up to answer the big three questions on the plates of all those who would be the newest Team Evotri member:

1. How will you benefit the team if you're chosen? What are your personal attributes?

2. How have you, and how do you plan to give back to the endurance sport community? Nothing is too insignificant, list it all.

3. Why tri? Please be as creative as possible in explaining why you are passionate about triathlon and endurance sport?

All in three minutes or less. February 15th is the deadline to submit your videos, the following Monday the top ten videos will appear on this site and remain here throughout the week for public voting. To submit your video, first upload it to You Tube, and then send the link to MakingTheTeam@evotri.com.

Beginning Monday the 18th, you can cast your vote for the person YOU think best addresses the above questions by emailing us at Vote@evotri.com. We'll post a leaderboard each day, and on the 20th will begin the elimination process.

Round one voting will run from Monday, 2/18/08 to Wednesday, 2/20/08, and will determine the top seven videos. These will go on to round two voting, beginning Thursday, 2/21/08 and running through Saturday, 2/23/08. On Sunday the 24th the top four videos will kick off the final round of voting, which will run until Friday, 2/29/08.

Only one will make the team. Will it be you?

Best of luck to everyone, we look forward to your applications.

Stay tuned to evotri.com, as the next Making the Team contest will be announced soon!

We Want YOU in 2008!

Over the course of the week there has been a steady stream of email to the team wondering if we're looking for a long courser, a short courser, someone young or fast, and in fact the answer is yes.

We want all of you.

Anyone is welcome to apply. All ages, all abilities, the only thing we require is that you love this sport and are willing to show it and share it.

Are you brand new to triathlon? Never raced before? Don't even have a bike? We want your video.

Are you a seasoned veteran with multiple Ironman titles under your belt? Been to Kona so many times you've lost count? We want your video.

Everyone has something special to bring to the endurance community. We want you to show us why you've done this everyday for decades, as well as why you want to start waking up at the crack of dawn to find out exactly what this whole thing is all about. We want to hear about how you share that passion with everyone you know, how you'd bag it up and give it away for birthdays if you could, and how the passion of others has inspired you to the point that you can't wait for the day you too can be a vehicle for that radiating enthusiasm.

Sound like you? Now is your chance to tell the world. It's not just about a bike or a set of wheels (though they are hot aren't they!), it's about an opportunity to have a bigger voice and a better ability to not only evolve as an individual, but to help others do the same on a broader scale.

You've felt how great it is to give back and help out, or you've felt an amazing gratitude for those who've helped you and can't wait to do the same for another. Why not do it with the support of a team and a group of sponsors who are passionate about the same thing?

You know you have what it takes to make the team, so click the contest tab at the top of the page to revisit the press release for all the contest details, and get your videos in before February 15!

Team Evotri Press Release:

"Making the Team"
January 16, 2008
Madison, WI

In 2007, it began with a vision to take eight people further than they'd ever been with top-notch coaching, industry leading technology, and the finest in precision equipment. Follow along as the former members of team raceAthlete 2007 take things to the next level in 2008. It's a new year and they've evolved into a new team: Team Evotri. Committed to giving back to the endurance community, they once again want you to be part of the journey.

On March 1, 2008, the first of three lucky age-groupers will be asked to join the team. Each will be awarded a prize package from new Team Evotri sponsors: SRAM, and Robbie Ventura’s Vision Quest Coaching, as well as returning sponsors BMC Bicycles, CycleOps Power, Zipp Speed Weaponry and 2XU.

Over the course of the next few months the team will be looking for three people with a certain passion for endurance sport, a certain tirelessness for giving back to the endurance community, and a certain determination to reach new horizons in personal endurance performance. Do you have what it takes to make the team?

Winners can rest assured their performance will undoubtedly be taken to the next level with the following prize package:

Swiss based BMC Bicycles will provide winners with the precision engineered and fiercely designed TT02 Time Machine, the exact bike ridden by Ironman bike course record holder, pro triathlete, Tyler Stewart.

CycleOps Power will provide each winner with a new Fluid2 trainer and a cutting edge wireless PowerTap SL 2.4, which will allow athletes to unlock their potential and monitor their growth throughout the season just like the top pros.

The experienced and passionate team of professionals at Vision Quest Coaching will take members to the next level with a professionally individualized coaching package.

SRAM will outfit the Time Machines with world-class Force drivetrains and brake components, engineered for top performance and efficiency.

Also, Zipp Speed Weaponry will provide 606 wheelsets, cranks and bars for the excellence in endurance sport trifecta.

Wetsuits and race kits provided by 2XU, the industry experts in state-of-the-art style.

Certainly an exciting adventure begins in 2008. Team Evotri and their sponsors invite you to submit your videos for round one of the contest by reading the instructions below. Stay tuned to www.evotri.com for forthcoming team information, including how you can compete to make the team in 2008.

TT02 Time Machines provided by BMC, a company driven by style, passion and precision. Innovative design features, rigorous testing, and a vast history of working with the industry's top athletes have set BMC apart from the pack. Visit http://www.bmc-racing.com/en for their full line of men's and women's road and mountain bikes.

CycleOps Powertaps and trainers are provided by the Madison, Wisconsin-based Saris Cycling Group; makers of industry leading power meters, racks and indoor trainers, as well as home to the top minds in performance science. Visit http://www.cycleops.com for an up close and personal education.

Professional coaching provided by Vision Quest: a dynamic, hands on, fully involved coaching program designed to provide direct interaction between the athletes and the coach for triathletes and cyclists. Please find more information on the diverse and flexible programs at http://www.visionquestcoaching.com.

Wheels of Team EvoTri provided by Zipp Speed Weaponry, flawless craftsmanship makes these wheels the industry leader in speed and aerodynamic efficiency. For more information, and for a complete product catalog, visit http://www.zipp.com.

Drive and Brake components provided by SRAM, manufacturers of world-class bicycle parts including the new Double Tap & Exact Actuation technologies designed for faster Tri, Road & CX machines. See & learn more at http:/www.willyoumaketheleap.com.

Cutting-edge and sleek, 2XU will assure teammates maximize their potential with the industry's most revolutionary wetsuits and race kits. Visit http://www.2xu.com for the latest innovations.

Making the Team: 2008 - Round One Contest Guidelines

Endurance sport enthusiasts, do you have what it takes to make the team? Tell us how and why in a video submission no longer than three minutes. Videos will be narrowed down to ten by Team Evotri and their sponsors, and displayed on the team's website (www.evotri.com) where they will then be voted upon by the endurance sport community at large for creativity, quality, and how well they address the following questions:

1. How will you benefit the team if you're chosen? What are your personal attributes?

2. How have you, and how do you plan to give back to the endurance sport community? Nothing is too insignificant, list it all.

3. Why tri? Please be as creative as possible in explaining why you are passionate about triathlon and endurance sport?

From the ten, Team Evotri and their sponsors will announce the winner on March 1, 2008 and the winner will be notified.

*Entitle all videos with your name and the subtitle: Making the Team, 2008.

*Upload all videos to You Tube and send the link to MakingTheTeam@evotri.com by February 15, 2008.

*Videos not within the time constraints will not be viewed or posted on the team website for voting.

*By sending a video link to MakingTheTeam@evotri.com, candidates grant Team Evotri and their sponsors permission to use said video for promotional purposes affiliated with Team Evotri and the Making the Team: 2008 contest.

*Winners of the team slots forfeit all awards should they be unable to continue as a team member for any reason.

*Winners of the team slots agree to maintain a personal website or blog documenting their training and racing experience for as long as they are members of Team Evotri.

*Winners of the team slots agree to attend the WIBA training weekend in Madison, Wisconsin in June, 2008, and race Steelhead 70.3 in August, 2008.