Since the Olympics are on our minds, I thought Maria Simone, founder and head coach of No Limits Endurance, would be the perfect founder to blog about. Maria has a special place in my heart because she is my coach, and has helped me transform from a runner to a marathoner to a triathlete. She’s an inspiration not only to those interested in founding a technology start-up, but to anyone who wants to pursue a higher passion. Here’s her bio from her website:

“A lifelong runner turned triathlete, Maria is an enthusiastic ambassador for endurance sports. Triathlon and ultra-running have revolutionized her life, teaching her to fear less and live more. She loves the competition and camaraderie that the endurance sport community provides.

As a coach, Maria takes a holistic approach to training that considers not only physical athletic ability and history, but also mental training, nutritional habits, and life-work-training balance.

Maria has coached all level of athletes – from beginners who are learning to swim, bike and run effectively to competitive athletes, seeking goals such as Boston Qualifying marathons, AG podium finishes, and USAT National qualifications. In all cases, she teaches her athletes that they must believe before they achieve. She ensures that athletes focus on short and long term goals, that emphasize process over outcome.”

Maria (who, by the way, has a PhD and is chair of the Communications Studies Department at Rowan University) has an exceptionally long list of triathlon and running accomplishments, which you can check out here.

What Her Bio Doesn’t Say

Maria is a gentle and kind soul who also has no problem telling an athlete to stop feeling sorry for themselves. And, holy batman, don’t veer off your training schedule without good reason because she has no tolerance for that. I learned these things about her despite never having met her in person. Maria, who lives in New Jersey,   has grown and conducts her business entirely by using technology. (Being a badass athlete helps, too.)

Maria and I found each other on a “dating site” for athletes looking for coaches, and for me , it was love at first message. Using Twitter, Facebook, and other social media, Maria has developed and nurtured a community of endurance athletes.  Her days as a new triathlete looking for a community from which she could get support and advice provides a stark contrast to the present, when her clients can simply reach out online.  They can also tune in to her monthly YouTube podcast “Yanking Chains.” Most recently, she has started using Google+ to provide seminars that are archived on YouTube. And let’s not forget about the gadgets. Three-thousand miles away, Maria usually knows when I’m getting a cold before I do. How is that? She gets information about my heart rate and performance every time I train. Her ingenuity has provided her with an intimate knowledge of the rhythms and cycles of her athletes’ performance.  

Maria grew up in a traditional household where her mother took care of the home front and her father worked as a business owner. Reading opened her eyes to a different way of life. “The more I read the bigger the world became; the more I knew I could accomplish,” she said. “I knew I could be something more than what my traditional upbringing taught me.”

Kernels of Wisdom from Maria:

• Live outside your comfort zone. This mantra has taken Maria far. Her academic and professional accomplishments are in themselves impressive, but instead of stopping with those she pursued her athletic passions as well. “Without reaching, you will never know what you can accomplish. And, if you reach and fail, try it again.”
• Mentors are important.  Maria has many mentors in her life. She gives much credit to her husband, who has supported and encouraged her to become a founder.
• Don’t rest on your laurels. “To succeed, you’ve got to keep up with what the world throws at you – whether in sports or in life.” Maria has followed through on this by using technology as a tool to develop and increase her influence as an endurance coach. Maria’s future could hold the exciting possibility of  using virtual and augmented reality as innovative tools for coaching and mentoring. I can’t wait to see what she does next!

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