2021’s Movers & Shakers: Where Are They Now?

At the end of 2020, we inducted our first group of Multisport Movers & Shakers—the people both behind-the-scenes and in front of it who you should keep your eye on in the year to come.

Now, as we celebrate our 2022 Multisport Movers & Shakers, we wanted to check in and let you know about some of the amazing things last year’s class did during this past year. It’s like a mini game of ‘where are they now,’ except all of them are still doing great things in the sport!

Here’s a quick glance at what some of them did during the last year.

RELATED: 2022 Multisport Movers & Shakers

Ian O’Brien

In 2021, everyone got to know one of the sport’s most successful coaches, Ian O’Brien, when his up-and-coming athlete took the sport by storm. Know the name Taylor Knibb? Get to know the coach behind her rise. O’Brien coaches a group out of Boulder, Colorado that’s full of athletes about to become household names. Among other accolades, the squad took two of the three women’s podium spots at the 70.3 World Championships. What’ll they do in 2022?

Eric Lagerstrom & Paula Findlay

If you haven’t seen an episode of the duo’s That Triathlon Life it’s probably because you’re living under a rock. While pros’ Youtube shows have become commonplace, That Triathlon Life has expanded into a whole line of merchandise and a lifestyle—setting the path for others to follow. Even as our list of Movers & Shakers came out at the end of 2020, Findlay blew into a new tier with her win at the PTO Championships in Challenge Daytona. Although injured most of this year, she ran to the front again at Oceanside 70.3 at the end of 2021, while Lagerstrom took an impressive 7th at 70.3 Worlds. And it was all captured for their invested viewers and fans.

Sika Henry

With her top three at Challenge Cancun, Henry made history as the first female African-American pro triathlete. Her first pro race might not have gone the way she wanted, but it was an important milestone and one she’d been fighting towards for years. Her comeback from a horrific crash was even documented in The New York Times.

Kathryn Taylor & Kristi Mohn

2021 was certainly the year of gravel and Taylor and Mohn were ready to lead that charge this year with their Girls Gone Gravel group. In addition to their podcast, team community, and women’s clinics, they’ll host a women’s gravel festival in 2022. That’s along with Mohn continuing to serve as a director of the wildly popular Unbound Gravel race—which is only growing in size and importance.

Tim Yount

Yount was busy this year with the return to racing initiatives from USA Triathlon, as the organization tried to get race directors COVID resources and get them back on their feet. But Yount’s biggest job is leading up the NCAA women’s triathlon effort. And despite the setbacks during the pandemic, the sport still added its 38th school to the varsity roster and hosted its most competitive national championships yet. By all accounts, there should be 40 schools signed on by this spring and then triathlon could finally become the next NCAA Championship sport.

Vanessa Foerster

After launching the Diversify Triathlon Movement, Foerster has also established herself as a well-respected mental endurance coach, launching a Train Your Mind podcast and mini-coaching groups. Not to mention, writing a number of pieces for Triathlete.

Chris Kermode

When Kermode came to triathlon from tennis, he was the biggest and latest high-profile exec to be added to the Pro Triathlete Organization’s (PTO) team. Now, the PTO has fleshed out its team and broadcast schedule, gotten its first-ever Collins Cup off-the-ground, and announced a roster of new events for 2022. The PTO showed this year they’re here to stay. What’ll they do next?

Stacy Sims

Sims first made a name for herself with her slogan, “Women are not small men,” and her pivotal book, Roar. Now you can also sign up for an online learning membership with her and take courses. Her research and advocacy has also paved the way for wide mainstream acceptance now of the need to study women’s physiology and provide them with specialized training and nutrition advice.

George Gilbert

You might still not know the name George Gilbert, but you probably know that Zwift hosted a UCI Esports World Championship—and, as head of the Zwift Esports commission, Gilbert has been instrumental this past year in growing that competitive side of the Zwift world. Now, in 2022, Super League is partnering with World Triathlon for an official Esports Triathlon World Championship, using Zwift in an arena setting. Three races in April and May will crown a first-ever E-Tri World Champ. And Gilbert will be instrumental in making sure everything runs as it should now and in the years to come.

Gabriela Gallegos

As our 2021 Movers & Shakers list went to print, Gallegos ended 2020 being elected to the World Triathlon Executive Board—an important and rare role for a USAT board member. As a force on the World Triathlon stage, Gallegos is now helping shape the direction of the sport globally. That’s along with hosting her expanded roster of races and working to bring triathlon (and health!) to the masses in her hometown of El Paso, Texas.

Julia Polloreno

If you enjoyed Ironman’s live race coverage or their series “A Fighting Chance” that followed athletes through their journeys, then you have Polloreno to thank. As the vice president of content production, she spearheaded the expansion of Ironman’s video and content efforts over the last two years. And, in 2022, Ironman’s 70.3 series will be broadcast on OutsideTV (a partner company of Triathlete) and on the OutsideTV app.