Tough Chik Tuesday

I recently joined a team of women called Team Tough Chik. At first, I did because I liked the singlet and thought it would be cool to say I was on “Team Tough Chik” while I was running my first 50K.

But then I was added to the Team Tough Chik Facebook group and discovered 100+ other athletes that were a lot like me.  There are newbies as well as experienced athletes. It is an extremely active group with great advice and encouragement. I knew several of the women already from the blogging world.  Two of them are Nuun Platuun teammates.

There are so many outstanding women sharing the moniker of “tough chik.” I have decided to dedicate Tuesdays on my blog to featuring women on this team. I am excited to see what these great women have to say about being tough chiks!

My first Tough Chik post is from the owner/founder of Team Tough Chik, Shannon. Thanks for putting together such a great group of women, Shannon!

Hi, my name is Shannon and I am the owner of Tough Chik women’s performance apparel.  I am an amateur athlete who just happened to start a clothing company.  I have never podiumed, I’m not sponsored, and I buy all my equipment just like everyone else.  I am a gal just like you, who started cycling which led to running which led to triathlons.  I am not particularly good or fast, but I love it and I like to look cute when I do it.

I say on the site that Tough Chik is not just a clothing company, it is a way of life and that is very important to me.  Tough Chik, the name, came from my mom and grandmother, who always referred to themselves as “Tough ‘Ol Birds”, referring to their inner strength and courage.

Our tag line is “this is what tough looks like”, because I believe we are all tough in our own ways. That is why I love to ask, “What makes you a Tough Chik?” The answers are as varied as we are.  Some women are cancer survivors, some run in the snow, some have lost over 100 lbs, some women, like me, have just gone through a lot tragedy in life and have come out the other side with increased experience and resolve.

Tough Chiks are proud of who we are, where we came from and, more importantly, where we are going.

I started Team Tough Chik with Angela Meyers with hopes of creating a team that accepts all women from elites to beginners, Ironman triathletes to fun-runners and everyone in between! We are very proud to announce that Team Tough Chik is 171 chiks strong with women from 5 countries and 36 states.

I will be featuring one Tough Chik each week to learn a bit more about what makes tough chicks tick.

Happy Running…