 Nikki Kimball
Nikki Kimball  Bio: If it weren't for cross-country skiing, Nikki might never have discovered her love of distance running. When skiing, her focus was always performance and race results, which often caused her to overlook the inherent beauty of the sport. But, running was different. It helped her train physically for skiing, but because the pressure to perform was lifted, she could completely lose herself in her natural surroundings and she noticed how running gave her the mental clarity and stress release she needed. She now runs competitively, but Nikki never forgets the real gift that running gives her. “Really, I just love to run,” she says. “I love to run enough that I often find myself lost, both literally and figuratively.” Nikki’s love of running quickly developed into an amazing talent for it, and today she is one of the top female ultra runners, with numerous first-place finishes, course records and awards under her belt. She’s competed as a member of several U.S. teams, including the 100K, mountain running and snowshoe racing teams, and she is involved in the USATF as a member of the 100K Task Force. Nikki lives in Bozeman, Montana, and works as an orthopedic physical therapist. She is co-creator of The Running Clinic, a monthly screening of runners and triathletes aimed at preventing injury and advising athletes on proper nutrition, training and footwear. Nikki say's, ""I am proud to represent a company which gives generously to causes I care about. The North Face supports humanitarian and environmental causes domestically and abroad. The company is also interested in causes dear to the athletes it supports, from helping to fight childhood obesity in the US to helping ensure the safety of Sherpas in Nepal. Not only does The North Face facilitate healthy, enriching lifestyles by selling products designed to help people enjoy outdoor exploration, but it supports initiatives to keep our environment healthy so that we CAN keep exploring and enjoying it."" Birthdate: 5/23/1971 Favorite Destination: Any technical trail. I’ve yet to meet one I didn’t like. Proudest Moment: World Cup 2005 scoring member of gold medal US team. Cause(s): I have done volunteer work and/or fundraising for a local animal shelters. My pets are adopted and the welfare of unwanted, neglected and/or abused domestic animals has been important to me for as long as I can remember. On the political side, our last senatorial race in Montana was heated and many of my friends and I were well invested in the outcome (which was positive, btw). Max Baucus is our countries leading ultra-running senator. I certainly hope to help him continue to represent Montana well in Washington, given his intelligent decisions related to environmental issues and health care. Favorite Moment In History: Ultra has a history? Most Recent Epic: This winter I had a frostbitten eyeball, middle ear surgery and a root canal in a 3 week period without missing a workout (though I had to not run for 10 days post-op, which was, in itself, an epic). Most Humbling Moment: The sport of ultrarunning is largely a series of humbling moments. As much as I’m amazed by what my body can do and the extremes it can handle, the sport constantly reminds me that I inhabit a body which requires constant upkeep I may have to slow my pace in response to relatively minor changes in temperatures or trail topography. I cannot race ultra distances without aid stations providing thousands of calories and liters of water. I cannot race fast without race volunteers and my own crew. Basically I cannot do any of the things I’ve done without constant governance of my innately human physical weaknesses and the selfless help of volunteers and crew. Weakness: I’m not sure I want to let that secret out…. Three Things People Should Know About Me 1. Despite prosthetic bones in each ear, I’m still a bit deaf. If I’m asked a question and don’t hear all of it my brain tends to make stuff up. So people ought not to take my responses in conversation too seriously, particularly when I’m making even less sense than I normally do. 2. Though I’m a reasonably good cook (having done it professionally for about 3 years total), one won’t want to look into the kitchen when I’m through. I never really did learn to clean. 3.___________________ Dream Vacation: Still have to say hut to hut running in the Dolamites. With whom? The North Face endurance team! Author Bill McKibben should come along too. Not only does he write well, and about interesting subject matter, but he’d probably be able to run/hike successive 20+ mile days with us. Career Highlights: Ultra Marathon:
Mountain Running:
Trail Running:
Road Running:
Snowshoe Racing:
Awards, Other Athletic Achievement and Running Community Involvement:
|
|
|
||
