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: Krista Schepanovsky

Sports: Triathlon (Olympic distance to Ironman), running, snowshoeing, cross country skiing

Age: 36

Occupation: High school Spanish and French teacher

Where I live and play: Harvard, Mass.

Marital status: Happily attached

Kids? Not yet

Animals: Chelsea, a yellow Lab, and Duke, a black Lab/Great Dane mix

First love: Swimming. My parents didn't know how to swim and made me take lessons for as long as I can remember, which I'm grateful for.

Favorite place to be active: Around Harvard, Mass. It's rural and hilly with beautiful scenic riding and running, nice clean lakes to swim in, and is beautiful in all seasons.

Role model and why: My mother. She was a courageous woman who always tried to make the best of any situation.

Ideal active weekend: Meeting friends for a long bike ride in the country and then lots of food and laughs afterward.

Proudest active moment: Finishing my first marathon, which I dedicated to my mother. When I signed up for the marathon it was for me (to see if I could do it), although the race also was a cancer fund-raiser. Shortly after I signed up and started training, my mother was diagnosed with cancer and died a few months after I finished. I did it for her.

Best training tip: Listen to your body. If your schedule says run six miles but your body says you need more sleep, think about what's most important overall. Rest is just as important as all those miles.

Gear I can't live without: My one-and-a-half-year-old Lab/Great Dane. He gets me through speed workouts on the track.

Favorite pre-workout/race meal: Montreal style bagels! I moved to the U.S. from Canada a few years ago, and I miss the bagels so much my friends sometimes ship them from Canada. If I can't have those, I eat a whole wheat English muffin with natural peanut or almond butter, and coffee.

Sport I'd most like to try: : Since I do a lot of individual sports, I'd love to try a team sport like rowing, which is popular in my area.

When I'm not swimming, biking, running or skiing, I'm: Watching movies and eating ice cream!