Her Story

Because nothing motivates us to stay healthy more than meeting other athletic women who do it all, Her Sports brings you the stories of women just like you. If they can do it, so can you!

Name: Siobhan Saunders

Sports: Surfing, snowboarding, cycling (road and mountain), swimming, running or anything adventurous that gets the endorphins going.

Age: 39

Occupation: Civil engineer

Where I live and play: Santa Cruz, Calif.

Marital status: Single, although my boyfriend might like me to say "attached".

Kids? None

Animals: None, but would love a big dog

First love: Softball in the 5th grade.

Favorite place to be active: Tropical water with good surf, followed closely by a steep, fresh powder-covered mountain.

Role model and why: The older people I see at open-water swim events. They are healthy, full of life and fun. I recently swam across Donner Lake (2.7 miles) and there was an 81-year-old guy who did the race. Several women in their 70s also did it. They remind me that I have lots of time to learn new things, take up new sports, and get better at ones I already do.

Ideal active weekend: Getting up early on a sunny day to mountain bike, surf or snowboard with a group of close friends. Lots of laughing, a mid-day nap, followed by a group effort in the kitchen to produce heaps of good food while sipping a cocktail of choice, all washed down with good conversation, and topped off with a home-made, who-cares-about-calories-fat-and-carbs dessert.

Proudest active moment: Finishing my first marathon. I always wanted to do one, but dreaded how the training commitment would limit other fun stuff for several months. I finally committed to training for the Muir Woods Trail Marathon in Stinson Beach, Calif., which has 2,200 feet of climbing and descending. I ended up coming in fourth, was the first woman finisher, and would have qualified for Boston if it had been a certified course. Making the commitment to work really hard for something and accomplishing it with greater success than I expected gave me great satisfaction.

Best training tip: Keep it fun. Schedule workouts with friends as much as possible. If it stops being fun, find something new to do.

Gear I can't live without: My swimsuit. I take it everywhere.

Favorite pre-workout/race meal: Peanut butter on toast and a yogurt/fresh fruit smoothie.

Sport I'd most like to try: There are so many—I think luge would be a rush.

When I'm not surfing, snowboarding, cycling or swimming, I'm: Cooking and eating good food with close friends or relaxing with a good book. I love to read and belong to a couple of book clubs. On long drives I always bring plenty of books on tape.