OUR STORY
Since graduating from college, adapting to adult life has not always been easy. After running cross country and track competitively for 10 years we found ourselves questioning our identity as athletes. Should we continue to run competitively and chase bigger dreams like the marathon? Or should we move on and find a new sports all together? Honestly, three years later and we still don't have any simple answers for you. What we can tell you is that the journey of discovery has been an amazing one. We have found ourselves exploring new sports, reinventing old ones, meeting great people, and creating lasting memories along the way while staying fit an active all the way through.
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We have found that in the journey through fitness and sport there is no destination or finish line. Our goals and aspirations change with fitness just as we do through life. We hope to support your journey with fitness by providing you with resources to try a new sport or help you become better at your current sport. Most of all we hope to provide you with a supportive community that keeps your dreams high and dares you to try something new.
If that speaks to you, we would love to have you join our team.
MEET OUR COACHES
Introducing the faces behind Amateur Athletics
If you are looking for a team, you have come to the right place! Our team of coaches are at the heart of our business. The coaches at Amateur Athletics offer top-notch training plans and supplemental videos that will guide you to be your very best.
MACKENZIE HEATON
Beginner Coach
I have been a runner for longer than I can remember. My competitive journey began in 7th grade when I signed up to run cross country although, I mostly did it for the fun and friendships.
I continued my running journey into high school and eventually into college. I competed for Augustana University for four years in cross country, indoor and outdoor track. Since graduating, I have picked up the sports nordic skiing and triathlon. I have truly enjoyed being a beginner again!
One of my passions has been fostering a love for exercise through sport in other adults. My favorite moments are when you see a new athlete fall in love with their new sport.
SEAN HEATON
Intermediate to Advanced Coach
Growing up I was in all sorts of youth sports from soccer to baseball to golf. I was generally terrible at all of them. As I was entering junior high, my dad brought me to the informational meeting for the school cross country program. I was far too scared to step into a situation so foreign and seemingly challenging that I walked away that day without signing up. However, my parents were persistent. The next year they brought me back to the same meeting, and that year I did sign up. I still regret not signing up that first year.
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I never saw myself as an athlete before that year, but the teammates that I met over the coming seasons made me fall in love with movement, endurance, and reaching my lofty goals. Through that portal of cross country running, I found myself learning to make friends, become a leader, and to believe in myself as a strong human.
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Today, I am training for my second marathon and my fifth American Birkebeiner. I have found a true love for adult citizen athletics after many years as an athlete during my school years.
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I have been coaching athletes for four years now at the high school, collegiate, and adult levels. I am a USATF level 1 coach, I hold a certification as an endurance specialist through the USTFCCCA, and hold a level 50 certification through the CXC/US Ski Association.
