Meet Sandra Sutherland: Coach & Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sandra Sutherland and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sandra, what do you attribute your success to?
Listening! Taking time to listen and then respond and create an atmosphere where the athletes felt SAFE to ask, share, and create a trust. Everyone is different! Schedules, lifestyles, physical, and economical all effect the athlete. Creating a SAFE rapport to educate and set an example has been the base to our business and to how we train up the athlete to develop the skills and the confidence to race.

What should our readers know about your business?
My business started with my family! Having families outdoors exercising as a sport or for fun is all about staying ACTIVE! We encouraged the youth to find EXCITEMENT in nature! The trails, hills, jumps on the bike rides! Beauty on the trails for running, and the freedom in open water swimming! All great ways to stay healthy and then race! I was asked and I responded! Doors have been opening for me for years! The progression from riding bikes to school with my boys in elementary, to creating a private P.E class for Triathlon was built around the need. Finding a sport to create a LIFESTYLE for the rest of your life not just your high school years was my goal. To this day I have athletes who come back after graduation, college, and now are still participating in the sport! Full circle and they too are riding bikes to school with their families! I want families to know that this is a gift, and possible to make the exercise happen in a fun way to inspire the family to grow in the sport together! Just keep moving to stay healthy!!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
When visiting our area of the Woodlands we get outside! We ride the trails! We may visit the Wheel Kitchen and have some local organic food that will feel our soul! We keep moving! Get the kayak and SUPaddleboards out and enjoy time on the lake! So many parks and trails to see the nature blended with the city. Especially around the waterway now! Art dropped in along the way with the benches are beautiful! Creekside Park to Northshore Park to Hughes Landing are all great to see on a bike along the trails!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My community! The Woodlands Township has always been there to support our activity OUTDOORS! Developing programs together to make the great outdoors more accessible to others. Living in a community that offers so much for the family, athlete, and neighbors to get out and enjoy right in our backyards. The Woodlands Township provided me with a platform to take the sport of Triathlon to the public! We first created and offered a kids race at the local YMCA. Then interest for the sport led to Adults by offering a “Sprint” race over ten years ago was the start of it all. Now we host the Texas Ironman in the same backyard!

Website: www.txtri.com
Instagram: txtri3x3
Linkedin: @SandraSutherland
Twitter: 1sttxtrigirl
Facebook: TXTRI:SWIM-BIKE-RUN
Yelp: TXTRI