Arctic Triathlon Series race organizers
Fairbanks, Alaska
Janna Miller
Janna has been volunteering with the Arctic Triathlon Series since 2015. She grew up as a competitive swimmer and has raced in triathlons for about 30 years, from the Breakup sprint up through many 70.6 mile races. At her first half-Ironman – which happened to be Sourdough, biking on a relay team with swimmer Samantha Royer and a runner friend – she met her future husband who was the race director. Tired of waiting for him to ask, she proposed to him there the next year in front of the entire racing field. Her favorite race would be either long course world championships in Amsterdam in 2007 – with a really long swim, yay! – or the now-defunct offroad half-Ironman held at a beautiful state park in western Virginia on fire service roads and steep hiking trails. She was determined to run a marathon, but kept getting injured, so took up racewalking and competed twice at Equinox. She was thrilled, and bummed, to be seconds from qualifying for the 2004 20K racewalking event at the Olympic Trials. Her favorite quote, from a fellow triathlon competitor as she racewalked past a runner, was when he asked her, “When you get tired, do you run up the hills?” Years later she found Chi Running and has since enjoyed healthy legs and the joy of running. She recently retired and enjoys volunteering with various groups in the Fairbanks area, including the Arctic Triathlon Series. |
Ron Oliver
Ron moved to Fairbanks in 2013 while on Active Duty. He has since left the USAF and joined the Alaska Air National Guard so that he could stay in Alaska. He's most passionate about running, but is a decent swimmer and bikes enough to be able to say he does triathlons. He's run the Boston Marathon and was on the US Army-Alaska Army Ten Miler Team while stationed at Ft Wainwright. One of the coolest races that he participated in was the inaugural Alaskaman in 2017. He prefers a challenging course and a small field over a flat course with 5,000 of his closest friends. Aside from running a lot, he enjoys mountaineering and has recently taken up back country skiing. He's slowly building a 52 Chevy but it’s going to be a year or three before it’s finished. His wife Chris and he both volunteer with Team RWB and lead events throughout the year. He's a former A-10 pilot, current KC-135 pilot in the Guard, and Alaska is the longest he's ever lived anywhere in the last 25 years. His two daughters are 17 and 15, and no longer have any interest in any of his endurance/outdoor shenanigans. Interesting fact about Ron: he was diagnosed with MRBF as a child (Male Resting Bitch Face). He's generally happy despite his furrowed brow and intense stare. Favorite post run food: Salt and Vinegar chips and/or 3 x McDonald’s Cheeseburgers, no onions. |
Samantha Royer
Samantha is the volunteer coordinator for the Arctic Triathlon Series. She has been involved in triathlons for nearly nearly 30 years. In the 80’s & 90’s, she could often be seen swimming for a relay for the Beaver Sports Triathlon or Sourdough. After having two children, she decided that the first triathlon she should try is Sourdough because of the amazing support on the course from volunteers, and from other racers. For that triathlon, she borrowed a bike, shoes, and a tri suit and became hooked on competing in triathlons ever since. She has had the opportunity to do races from sprints to Ironmans. Lately, any race she chooses to do has been somewhat cursed. So she advises you if she signs up, you may want to know you are in for an adventure. She believes it began with the Boston Marathon in 2013. Then she attempted Ironman Coeur D’Alene in 2015 where it was the hottest race on record. The following year, she did Ironman Texas where thunder and lightning caused the first ever race delay for an Ironman race. Most recently, she attempted a swim-run with her sister in Sweden where they experienced record heat and calm Baltic seas. Probably her proudest moment was when her daughter and she did Gold Nugget Triathlon and placed 2nd as mother/daughter. When not helping out with races, she can be found in a classroom teaching math to students of any age. She also helps coach high school swimming. Samantha hopes that the variety of experiences with triathlon and other events will benefit racers and the volunteers in our Arctic Triathlon Series. |
Amber Barlow
Amber started volunteering in 2011 when Brian Young and she decided that they needed to bring a sprint triathlon back to Fairbanks, hence the birth of The Breakup Tri. Ever since then she's been hooked on getting people excited about triathlons. She personally has had a chance to race a number of races from 140.6, 70.3, 13.1 and several marathons. Her favorite distance is 70.3 or 13.1 and one of her favorite half marathons is the Steamboat Half Marathon in Colorado. She also recently signed up for the 2022 Ironman Alaska which means it’s time to start training again. Typically on race day you can find her with the microphone in her hand, and she's the last person who should be using it. Her day job is the Director of the Army Wellness Center where she gets to help soldiers and their families meet their health and fitness goals. Favorite post event activity: sitting outside with a glass of wine. She would also like to apologize for anyone who signs up and races a triathlon because no matter how you feel during the race you will always wonder if you could go faster and then you’ll sign up for another one. |
Paula Comerlato-Medley
Paula is one of the newest additions to the Arctic Triathlon Series team as the Social Media Coordinator. She participated in her first, and only, triathlon in April 2019 with her husband; despite her limited triathlon repertoire, she's an avid outdoorswoman and enjoys many sports like soccer, indoor skydiving, kayaking, snowboarding, and so on. Paula was incredibly moved by the inclusive nature of the sport and, since her triathlon debut (and finale), has been an avid supporter of the triathlon community. Her background extends in service to the Army National Guard where she's participated in the Bataan Memorial Death March (marathon with a ruck) and countless half marathons, for fun. "It's about testing your limits, learning what they are or aren't, and growing from that. You are capable of accomplishing more than you know." As the Social Media Coordinator she hopes to inform both the national and international triathlon community about the Arctic Triathlon Series 3 progressive races and provide valuable and enriching content to our followers in hopes we'll encourage secretly budding triathletes to give it a chance! |