By Bill Plock
From an Olympian to IRONMAN Champion, to organizer of one of America’s most recognized cycling races to entrepreneurs and advocacy leaders in cycling, It Could Be Me announces its board of directors.
But it starts with founder and visionary, and seemingly tireless Triny Willerton who started this movement just two years ago. Fast forward to now and having thousands of followers, thousands of video testimonies and countless hours spent trying to make roads safer for cyclist, Triny and It Could Be Me are on a mission.
Board Member and Executive Director of Bicycle Colorado, Pete Piccolo says it well, “We want to prevent bicyclist fatalities, which absolutely can be accomplished. We need more people to speak-up and demand change. It Could Be Me will provide people additional opportunities to exercise their voice to call for more compassion on roads and to demand bicycle infrastructure and laws that prioritize the safety of people who ride. Bicycle Colorado will provide It Could Be Me followers opportunities to support policy and education initiatives we champion. This is a win-win for our organizations and for bicyclists who want to make a difference.”
It Could Be Me recently announced its official designation as a 501c3. The aim is to create more harmony on the roads by humanizing cyclists to change the narrative between cyclists and motorists to promote road safety for everyone.
Says founder Triny Willerton, “What if we all knew each other as people, not labeled by what we do for a living or what we like to do for fun, or eat or where we were born, so much tragedy might go away if indifference labeled by perceptions became extinct.”
Over the past couple of years, Triny has collected videos like this one made by board member and legendary cyclist and coach Chris Carmichael with the goal to share “the person” under the helmet and behind the sunglasses.
Triny started her endurance journey in triathlon eventually racing in the IRONMAN World Championships, but not before being hit by reckless driver while training for that race. Originally reported as the crash being her fault, it was later revealed the driver was completely at fault (Click HERE for that story). This launched Triny on a quest to make roads safer.
Along the way she has met champions of all walks of life including IRONMAN Champion, Rachel Joyce who is ecstatic to be on the board saying, “I met Triny shortly after she was hit by a vehicle whilst she was riding her bike in training for Ironman Boulder in 2018. Over the past couple of years I have seen her take what was a horrible event and turn it into some thing positive, building It Could Be Me. Road safety is an issue that I think about a lot. As a professional triathlete I didn’t feel safe on the roads and this feeling was heightened once I became a mother. I see how much both my kids love their bikes and I want them to be able to enjoy the freedom of two wheels. I am excited to be serving on the Board of It Could Be Me as I believe that road safety is something worth working hard on – there’s enough space on the road for us all and we need to work together to make sure future generation of cyclists can enjoy the roads.”
The board:
- Mo Siegel–Founder of Celestial Seasons, the Red Zinger/Coors Classic bike race and Boulder philanthropist
- Pete Piccolo–Executive Director of Bicycle Colorado
- John Simmerman–Founder of Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. also commonly known as Active Towns.
- Rachel Joyce–ITU Long Course World Champion, IRONMAN Champion (incl Boulder), Co-President of PTO
- Kebby Holden–Founder/owner Coeur Sports
- Stuart Mann–Partner Mann & Maximon Law Firm
- Chris Carmichael–Olympian, founder/owner of CTS Coaching
- Mark Sunderland–Owner of The Sunderland Group
- Bill Plock–Owner/Publisher 303Endurance Network (303cycling, 303triathlon) co-host 303Endurance Podcast
- Triny Willerton–Founder/Visionary, IT COULD BE Me
More details about the Board Members:
Mo Siegel– Boulder entrepreneur, founder of Celestial Seasonings, Inc. Has served Boards of Directors and non-profit foundations, such as Whole Foods, Annie’s, Himalayan Cataract Project, Chocolove, Haines Celestial, Boulder Community Hospital, Colorado Impact Fund, and Camelback Corp.
An avid outdoorsman, Mo founded America’s then-largest international bicycle stage race (formerly the Red Zinger Bicycle Classic and later the Coors Classic) from 1975 – 1989. He’s climbed all the Colorado 14ers and traveled to 100 countries.
Pete Piccolo– Executive Director Bicycle Colorado. A theme through most of Peter’s life has been a love of riding bikes for both recreation and transportation, and these traits are now a big part of his family’s lifestyle. “Bicycling has helped me and my family live healthier and happier lives, and I believe it can do the same for other people, families and communities across Colorado,”
Peter is an executive with over 25 years of experience that includes launching and serving in leadership roles in for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. Peter began his career at a Fortune 50 financial services firm where he was promoted to the Vice President level. After earning a Masters in Business Administration, Peter pursued his passion for cycling and serving his community by launching Outdoor Adventures for Kids, Inc., a nonprofit that introduced disadvantaged youth to bicycling. Most recently, Peter served as Executive Director, Innovation for Denver Public Schools. In that role, he founded the Imaginarium, an innovation lab that aims to reinvent public education so that every student graduates prepared for college and career.
John Simmerman: Founder of Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. also commonly known as Active Towns. He has over 30 years of experience in creating and promoting healthy, active environments with an emphasis on evidence-based human behavior dynamics. He is a globally recognized expert, consultant, and public speaker on health and the built environment – specifically creating places that are safe and inviting for “All Ages & Abilities”. He also serves as the host of the popular Active Towns Podcast: Conversations About Creating a Culture of Activity. For fun, John rides his commuter bike for errands on a daily basis, he is an avid trail runner, jumping into the occasional ultra here and there, and once upon a time he participated in Ironman triathlon races (10x), for the challenge and fun of it. He has served on a multitude of non-profit boards, has been a race director several times, and is a frequent endurance athletic event volunteer.
Mark Sunderland – Treasurer, Owner of The Sunderland Group. With more than 25 years of accounting experience, including respected positions with Ernst & Young and Merrill Lynch, firm president and founder Mark R. Sunderland is a hands-on authority on comprehensive business planning, tax planning and preparation, accounting system set-up and training, financial documentation, and technology systems training and implementation. He and his tech-savvy team specialize in the unique needs of small businesses, providing expert guidance and counsel on the surest track to financial safety, strength and growth. We keep you ahead of the curve all year round, preventing inaccuracies, tax surprises and penalties, late filings and hidden costs. We quote our fees up front, without strings or gimmicks, and provide shrewd and aggressive support to help you time every financial move perfectly. Mark enjoys everything the Colorado outdoors offer, particularly cycling, running, and camping in the mountains. He loves spending time with his wife Pam, boys Tyler & Ryan, and their dog Wrigley.
Rachel Joyce– Ironman Champion, ITU Long Distance World Champion. Rachel took up triathlon in 2005 and what started as a hobby turned into a passion. In 2008, Rachel made the bold decision to resign from her job as an attorney to give making it as a professional triathlete her best shot. Since then, she’s climbed to the top of her sport. Known as Joycey on the race course, she has captured a world title, 6 iron distance titles and stood on the podium 3 times at the Ironman World Championships, Hawaii. In 2017, Rachel returned to racing having taken 2016 off to have her son and went on to win 2 Ironman races less than a year after giving birth and in doing so qualified for the World Championships. Outside of training and racing, Rachel is a passionate advocate for equality and increasing participation in sport by women. She is a founding member of TriEqual and sits on the Women For Tri Committee of Advisors.She is the current Co-President of the PTO (Professional Triathlete Organization). Rachel lives in Boulder with her husband and two boys.
Kebby Holden-Founder and behind-the-scenes designer of Coeur Sports. Previously a consultant in Atlanta, she started Coeur because she could never find performance clothing that fit, let alone inspired her. Coeur has 3 all-female teams composed of 650 women that live an active lifestyle and love helping other women pursue health and fitness. Kebby is a multiple Ironman Kona finisher, a dedicated wife, and wine & coffee devotee.
Stuart Mann– Secretary. Partner Mann & Maximon, Stuart has expertise in tort law, personal injury, product liability, trade secret, and commercial litigation cases. He specializes in bicycle, auto, truck, and motorcycle accidents, wrongful death, bad faith insurance, and business disputes. Stuart is an avid cyclist and has competed in multiple ultra-endurance races, including the Leadville Trail 1100, La Ruta De Los Conquistadores in Costa Rica and the Bailey Hundo. As an undergraduate, he played soccer for the University of Colorado and following college he went on to play soccer with the Denver Kickers. Stuart’s athletic and competitive drive extends naturally to his law practice. Stuart and his wife live in Boulder, where they raised their three children. In addition to competitive cycling, Stuart enjoys spending time in his garden and tending to his bees and chickens.
Chris Carmichael– Before starting his coaching business, Chris raced bikes professionally and is an an Olympian. He is also a best-selling author, and entrepreneur. He has coached elite cyclists since 1990, was recognized as the U.S. Olympic Committee Coach of the Year, and was inducted into the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame in 2003. He served as the men’s road coach for the U.S. Olympic Cycling Team during the 1992 Olympic Games, and was the head coach for the U.S. Cycling Team for the 1996 Olympic Games. Carmichael founded Carmichael Training Systems (CTS) in 2000 to make world-class coaching expertise available to everyone.
Mark Sunderland–Treasurer CPA • OWNER The Sunderland Group. With more than 25 years of accounting experience, including respected positions with Ernst & Young and Merrill Lynch, firm president and founder Mark R. Sunderland is a hands-on authority on comprehensive business planning, tax planning and preparation, accounting system set-up and training, financial documentation, and technology systems training and implementation. He and his tech-savvy team specialize in the unique needs of small businesses, providing expert guidance and counsel on the surest track to financial safety, strength and growth. We keep you ahead of the curve all year round, preventing inaccuracies, tax surprises and penalties, late filings and hidden costs. We quote our fees up front, without strings or gimmicks, and provide shrewd and aggressive support to help you time every financial move perfectly. Mark enjoys everything the Colorado outdoors offer, particularly cycling, running, and camping in the mountains. He loves spending time with his wife Pam, boys Tyler & Ryan, and their dog Wrigley.
Bill Plock--Owner/Publisher of 303Endurance Network. Bill took over ownership of 303cycling.com and 303triathlon.com in 2019 and has united it under 303Endurance, added a weekly podcast and participates with Bike Jeffco to make an impact in local cycling advocacy. He grew up in Golden, played soccer at Colorado State, had a career in the fishing and hunting industries before falling in love with Endurance sports having completed eight Ironman’s and many popular rides like the Triple Bypass, Haute Route and RAGBRAI. He has one daughter, a junior in high school and enjoys road trips with her.
Triny Willerton–Founder and visionary of It Could Be Me. Triny grew up in Mexico City where she was an Early Childhood Teacher and a professional musician and composer and manager in a previous life. She worked in the music industry for about a decade in Mexico in the 90’s to early 2000’s. She also worked for Grupo CIE (Corporacion Interamericana de Entretenimiento. Spanish for: Interamerican Entertainment Corporation) is a Mexican entertainment and media company. It is leader of Latin American entertainment sector, focusing especially on the markets of Hispanic and Portuguese language, including the Latin market of the United States. She is a proud mother of five and married to Nigel Willerton.
303 did an interview with Triny early in 2021 and you can learn more about her here:
