FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MelRad Racing Announces the 2010 Pro-Am Raditude Roster
MelRad Racing, also known as Mel’s Rad Racing Team, has announced the roster of athletes chosen to race as part of the professional and amateur squad in 2010.
The team is led by reigning 3x USA Overall XTERRA Series Champion and 3x XTERRA World Champion Melanie McQuaid. Melanie returns in 2010 planning to race events on the XTERRA and Ironman 70.3 calendar while dabbling in mountain bike events. While focused on making an effort to win a fourth world title, Melanie will be personal coach or mentor for all members of the MelRad Racing team and will help all to have the raddest season ever. For information on Melanie please visit http://www.melrad.com.
The team concept was embraced by team sponsors. “Melanie has been the face of off-road triathlon for years and AVIA is fully supportive of her effort to give back to the sport through the development of the MelRad Racing Team. The MelRad athletes are not only fast, but are terrific ambassadors for the sport and their communities.” – Shawn Frack, Sports Marketing Manager, AVIA.
An invitation was extended to professional athletes Sara Tarkington and Emma Garrard to MelRad Racing for the 2010 season after they displayed raditude in 2009. With a goal of finding and developing the next generation of top professional athletes, Melanie chose two rad female competitors with potential for top podium positions at the Maui World Championships. Sara Tarkington, aka “Tark”, is based in Boulder, Colorado where she came to triathlon from a running background. After much success improving her mountain bike racing, she was 9th at the 2009 XTERRA World Championships. Sara is a social worker when not an athlete superstar and is known for consistent performances and a love of cupcakes. Emma Garrard was the 2007 amateur USA Champion, switching to the pro ranks in 2008. Originally from Anchorage and now in Park City, Utah, Emma divides her time between XTERRA and Winter Triathlon where she was second at the US Championships earning her a spot on the US World Championships team. This former NCAA Div1 cross country skier and distance runner is best known as a freelance photographer, cross country ski coach and plans to match her winter tri success with top spots across the US and at the World Championships this summer in XTERRA racing. For more information on pro and amateur athletes on the MelRad Racing squad please visit http://www.melrad.com.
The MelRad Racing team will benefit from every advantage offered to Melanie by a rad list of sponsors. The team is going to run in shoes from Avia, ride Specialized ERA women’s and Epic men’s mountain bikes, utilize hydration packs and multisport essentials like velocity laces and transition belts from Nathan Human Propulsion, wear custom race gear by Pactimo, wear Nirvana helmets from Lazer, drink GU Brew and eat GU energy products, wear eyewear by Sundog Eyewear, use Powertap power measuring devices and Powerbeam load generating trainers, wear goggles and swim gear from TYR, wear wetsuits and training clothing by Profile Design, wear gloves from Bellwether, use Genuine Innovations Big Air canisters, use ESI Grips on the handlebars and Powercordz for shifting, Squirt their lube, fuel up on Justin’s Nut Butte, Saltstick tablets and USANA supplements and use SciCon bags. This lineup of sponsors would be the dream team for any professional athlete and was offered to an exceptional group of professional and amateur competitors in 2010.
2010 Rad Roster
Pro Athletes:
Melanie McQuaid – Victoria, BC
Sara Tarkington – Boulder, CO
Emma Garrard – Park City, UT
Amateur Squad:
Alexia Droz (Team Captain; 35-39 AG) – Northwest Region
Becky Batizy (30-34 AG) – Mountain Region
Greg Seaman (50-54 AG) – Midwest Region
Heather McNamara (45-49 AG) – Midwest Region
Brian Corff (30-34) – Mountain Region
Tim Holland (25-29) – Northwest Region
Rob Jackson (35-39) – Northwest Region
Meiling Yee (45-49) – Southwest Region
Marcus Barton (40-45) – Southeast Region
Fred Smith (30-34 AG) – Southeast Region
Kristin Jo Markham (20-24 AG) – Southeast Region
The MelRad Racing Team will be attending all events on the XTERRA US Series, select Ironman 70.3 events and US Cup mountain bike events. The first team event will be the XTERRA West Championships in Lake Las Vegas, NV. MelRad Racing is supported by Avia, Specialized, Nathan, GU, Pactimo, Lazer helmets, Sundog Eyewear, TYR, Powercordz, ESI Grips, Genuine Innovations, Profile Design, Bellwether, Titec, Saris Cycling, Squirt lube and Saltstick.
* rad⋅i⋅tude [rad-i-tood, -tyood]
–noun
1. manner, disposition, feeling, position, etc., with regard to complete awesomeness, a tendency or orientation towards being totally rad, esp. of the mind: a positive raditude
2. the extreme desire to race hard and have fun
Contact:
Melanie McQuaid
melanie AT racergirl DOT com