Clients of Angela Forster, a triathlon coach in Avon Lake, follow their leader on a training run in the Rocky River Reservation of the Cleveland Metroparks. Interest in the sport of triathlon has soared in recent years.
Picture: Lonnie Timmons III/The Plain Dealer Triathlon coach Angela Forster of Avon Lake changes from cycling shoes into running shoes during a recent training session with clients in the Rocky River Reservation of the Cleveland Metroparks. In the background is her bike, a triathlon-specific model designed to be more aerodynamic.
Athletes looking for even more focused, individualized attention can turn to Angela Forster of Avon Lake, one of several triathlon coaches plying their trade full-time in Northeast Ohio.
Forster, a certified personal trainer and multiple Ironman finisher, launched Angela Forster Training five years ago, abandoning a steady job with Quaker Oats to make a career out of training other athletes, something she had been doing for free.
She now has a stable of about 20 regular clients, including Amsdell, ranging from beginners to advanced competitors, and that's more than enough to keep her afloat financially. Some live outside the area, communicating by e-mail and phone, but many come to her directly from their homes or offices here.
"It's a booming business," Forster said. "There really is a triathlon community here. . . . attorneys and doctors and moms and dads. . . . All of my clients work for a living."
It may seem strange for triathlon-related businesses to set up shop in Northeast Ohio, where winters are long and chilly temperatures stick around even longer.
But with clients scattered all over the country, competing year-round in Ironman and other triathlon events around the world, Forster said there's plenty for her to do even when it's cold here.
What's more, clients in harsher climates don't disappear when the snow falls. Instead, they simply move indoors, with an eye to coming out strong in the spring, and that's enough to keep their wheels, and the local triathlon economy, spinning all year long.
"We in Northeast Ohio get used to riding inside," Forster said. "But I have fun every day. It's very satisfying to help people reach a goal."
