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Bloomington's Premier Coaching Service, Dream Team, Dream Big Triathlon Coaching, Triathlon Team

Meet the 2022 Dream Team. Here at Dream Big, we do things a little differently. We aren't a club or a group. We are a collection of individuals, and that part is key. We take a highly individual approach to each athlete's success. When I am hired by an athlete, I work for them. Just like when a student pays for tutoring, they hire the teacher. I am extremely blessed to get to work for some of the most amazing people on the planet. This page is designed to highlight just that: how incredible they are as humans, business men and women, and/or mothers and fathers.

Robert Richter 40, Carmel IN
Race Highlights: Ironman, 8 x Half Ironman
Dream Big 
Athlete Since  2013

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   Robert Richter is the Director of Music & Organist at St. Christopher's Episcopal Church in Carmel Indiana. He studied music at Oberlin College Conservatory and Arizona State University.

   Robert has served as a visiting instructor in organ at Anderson University and freelances as a collaborative pianist/accompanist in the Indianapolis metro area including the Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation (IHC) and Indianapolis Children's Choir (ICC). He also teaches piano lessons in Carmel, IN.

https://robertwesleyrichter.weebly.com

 

   Robert has participated in triathlon and endurance events since 2010. Over many years working with DreamBig and Coach Brant, he has developed a consistent training schedule as part of an active lifestyle. In October 2016 he completed Ironman Louisville and has completed races at all distances including 8 half Iron distance races.

Maarten Bout 40, Bloomington IN
Race Highlights: 2 x Draft Legal Sprint National Champion, Aqua-Bike National Champion, Ironman, and 6 x Team USA Qualifier  
Dream Big Athlete Since  2016

 

   My name is Maarten Bout (yes, two As!) and I am a Dream Big Athlete. Like many of the people on these pages, I didn’t initially describe myself as “an athlete.” In real life, I was first a professional musician (playing chamber music and in orchestras), morphing into a major gift fundraiser for one of the most international universities, Indiana University (Go Hoosiers!). I’d always swam, ran, and since I’m from the Netherlands originally (hence the two As), I’ve ridden a bike since I was a week old. However, I had never done any of these things as an “athlete,” more like in an "aw-he’s-trying-so-hard-cute" kind of way, you know. The people in the IU swim club cohort of 2015-2016 will know what I mean. 

 

   That a chance phone call to Coach Brant would lead to two ITU triathlon world championships, becoming an Ironman, and a national title was as awesome as it was unexpected and unintentional. I first asked him “can you help me become a better runner?” In 2015 I’d finally had enough of not being able to run more than a 5k. I was a heel-striker and after about 5k I was exhausted. Brant agreed to do some sessions where he would film me and work with me to simply run better. Within about 6 weeks I went from that to comfortably running for an hour, with a cadence of *GASP* 30 steps per minute higher than I did before. That unlocked possibilities I had not imagined before. I did my first triathlon in April of 2016 at Ball State in Muncie: nice warm, chaotic pool swim, 49’ and sideways rain, puddles everywhere on the run; I was hooked. 

 

   Fast forward to 2021, the year Coach Brant and I secretly started working on a previously elusive goal: winning a national title. It took all the lessons of the previous five years, and some pretty hard work to get ready. Brant will tell you that I don’t always listen to the prescribed training schedule (“oh, you meant 40 miles on that ride, ooh, yeah I did 65, whups!”), or get goaded into racing the guy in the lane next to me (even if that person is @kinglil). But we got it done anyway. We worked our butts off for a very long season (March through November), entered some really competitive races (the pent-up energy at USAT Nationals in Milwaukee was palpable) and we got it done. In November 2021 I won the Draft Legal Age Group National Championship for men 40-44. A thrill I will never forget. What’s next? Who knows! It’s a secret between me and Coach Brant.

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James Pinchback 56, Fulshear TX
Race Highlights: 13 x Ironman! Kona Qualifier 
Dream Big 
Athlete Since  2018

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   Time flies when you are having fun!!!!!  On the left is IM Chatty in ‘17 when I started working with Brant and on the right is IM Tulsa in 2021 and what was supposed to be the last leg heading into Kona 2021.  It has been a great ride getting to this point with Brant and never dull with the “surprise” races I have dropped on him.  Here’s to 2022 and getting that Kona race in the books.

Lauren Smith 44, Bloomington IN
Race Highlights: 3 x Ironman, 4 x Half Ironman
Dream Big 
Athlete Since  2018

    Lauren is an Associate Professor in the Media School and an affiliate faculty member in the Department of Gender Studies at Indiana University. Lauren is one of the leading sport communication scholars in the U.S.A., and has published extensively on issues surrounding gender, race, activism, and sexual assault in sport. She has also published on the effect sports and sports media have on our emotions. She published a book entitled "Communication and Contradiction in the
NCAA: An Unlevel Playing Field" in 2019, which examines the need for reform in collegiate sport. Her work has been recognized with awards at the national and international level.

   Lauren is a 3-time ironman finisher, 4-time half ironman finisher, and a 4-time qualifier for USA Triathlon Age Group National Championships. Prior to becoming a triathlete, Lauren was an All-American gymnast and an NCAA springboard diver. Today, in addition to triathlon, Lauren is also a scuba diver, and is working on achieving her master diver certification. Lauren and her husband enjoy traveling the world in search of new adventures, as well as chilling at home with their two cats.

   I chose to work with Coach Brant because I knew I had much more potential than the level I was currently performing at. After our initial meeting, I knew he was going to be the right fit for me. I have gained so much working with Coach Brant both in my performance, but more importantly, a better understanding of myself as an athlete and the whole process. He is making me a much smarter athlete, and he is excellent at communicating the reasoning behind specific workouts and the overall

goals.

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Jason Link 48, Bloomington IN
Race Highlights: 2 x Ironman
Dream Big 
Athlete Since  2018

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   A little about me. I’ve been married for just over 23 years, have three boys, three dogs and a cat. I’ve been a retail manager for over 20 years, and made my way around Indiana and Ohio doing so. I started running years ago when my boss, now best friend, wanted me to do a 5k with him. One thing led to another, and I’ve done 5ks, 10ks, half marathons, one full marathon and two Ironman races. Brant has been an amazing coach!  He understands life gets in the way sometimes, and is always ready to adapt your training to work with it. Even better, he’s there to just listen sometimes when things are tough. He’s been great for me, and I can’t imagine working with anyone else. 

Elspeth Hayden 29, Bloomington IN
Race Highlights: Ironman Wisconsin / Muncie 70.3
Dream Big 
Athlete Since  2018

 

  Elspeth dipped her toes into the wide world of triathlon in 2018 and hasn't looked back since! Coach Brant has been with her every step of the way, building the training plan around work trips, family events, and life in general, and providing accountability, wisdom, and tough love when necessary! She crossed her first Ironman finish line in Wisconsin in 2021, and promptly retired from the full distance. She's looking forward to attempting a 70.3 PR and her first stand-alone marathon in 2022. Elspeth is a brand ambassador for Honey Stinger and a team member of the Couer Collective Beat. She works full time at IU and volunteers regularly with Friends of the Monroe County Public Library. She has a million reading recommendations and recipes to share, and lives in Bloomington, IN with fellow Dream Team member Corey.

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Corey Tarbell 32, Bloomington IN
Race Highlights: Elspeth's Training Partner/Pit Crew AKA Awesome Husband 
Dream Big 
Athlete Since  2019

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   Corey is a cyclist who started training with Coach Brant to get a structured training plan and see more consistent improvement and results. He spends many Saturdays pacing fellow Dream Team member Elspeth on her long training rides. His day job is in IT at IU, and he loves the data and technical sides of cycling almost as much as actually riding! He has rebuilt two old steel clunkers and keeps the family fleet in top condition. The rest of the time, he serves as chauffeur, cheerleader, mechanic, and race photographer for Elspeth.

Fred Perry 47, Bloomington IN
Race Highlights: Ironman
Dream Big 
Athlete Since  2019

   My journey to triathlon has been defined by my nomadic spirit. Born a Hoosier, my parents raised me and my siblings around the world, moving from country to country every 2-3 years when I was younger. I learned to ride a bike in the suburbs of London, ate my first big mac as a prize for swimming a lap in Singapore and ran aimlessly, as kids do, through the woods in Belgium and the dry desert river beds of Egypt. Age group swimming and cycling consumed a lot of my elementary years in Belgium and Egypt, while running became something I did if I had a ball in my hand.

 

   With a love and passion for sports I came to Indiana University to study Kinesiology and start my first career as a Physical Education teacher and coach. Riding in Little 5, This global nomad found my life partner, wife and best friend. Good thing because our team did not do that great in the race:) After graduation, back across the pond we went. Syria, Arizona and Lebanon were all home over the next 8 years before returning to Indiana with two amazing kids that redefined how incredible life truly is.

 

   Bikes have been everywhere with me. Taking me along the Damascus - Aleppo highway in Syria, by the pyramids, farmlands and deserts of Egypt, across the mountain trails of the US southwest, Europe's cycling trails, Myanmar’s rice paddies, the coast to mountain roads and trails of beautiful Lebanon and beyond. All of this led to coming back to my Indiana roots, doing a Masters Degree in Middle East Studies and finding my Ikigai in International Development.

 

   Over the last 16 years in Btown I slowly started to integrate running into my life, doing a few half marathons, started swimming again and getting back into cycling more. Before I knew it I jumped into my first triathlon with now fellow teammate and friend Maarten Bout, and the rest is history. Eventually he introduces me to the one and only Brant Bahler and I jumped on the Dream Big train and I am absolutely in love with this sport. Five years later, all the pieces of my life and swim, bike, run . . . family and friends have all come together in this incredible sport. Getting to know and race with my Dream Big Teammates has been a highlight of the past few years. Pandemic swims in frigid Lake Howard to my first Ironman with Lauren Smith and Rebecca Klingenberg. Priceless!

 

  With all I have been fortunate to experience in this life, coming across that IM finish line to my cheering wife, kids, family, friends, coach and teammates is among the best. My life and experiences without the people who have been a part of this journey, is meaningless and I look forward to the chapters ahead

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Denny Morrison 72, Bloomington IN
Race Highlights: 11x Sprint Finisher, 2021 Age Group National Championship Qualifier, 2022 Senior Olympics Qualifier
Dream Big 
Athlete Since  2020

 

   At the age of 70, Denny Morrison decided to become a triathlete.

   Now 72, he has completed 11 sprint triathlons including the 2021 Age Group Championships and he has qualified for the 2022 Senior Olympics (Senior Games) in Ft. Lauderdale. He attributes his motivation to become a triathlete to wanting to challenge the assumptions he was making about age such as “You’re 70 years old. You probably shouldn’t be doing….” He also had a great role model at home. At age 60, his wife Marsha became a competitive powerlifter. She won her age group in National Competitions 3 years in a row and was ranked 5th in the world. She is returning to competitions in 2022 after dealing with two bouts of breast cancer. He found it increasingly difficult to believe age was actually a barrier with that kind of example at home. That’s not to say being a senior athlete is without its challenges. But the truth is, all athletes have challenges that are unique to them and having great coaching makes all the difference in how to handle those challenges and keep training and competing.

 

   Denny holds a PhD in Counseling Psychology and a Masters degree in Exercise Physiology. He was an Aerospace Physiologist in the United States Navy training flight crews, including members of TOPGUN, in the physiological hazards of flight and water survival. He is a licensed, instrument rated pilot and a former scuba instructor and scuba instructor trainer. He was the CEO of two behavioral health companies for 17 years. Currently, he provides consulting services to the behavioral health industry in areas related to health information technology, management, leadership and clinical workflows. He and Marsha have been married since 1977. They have two sons, Mike and Chris.    

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Elizabeth Dunn 53, Bloomington IN
Race Highlights: Olympic Distance Finisher
Dream Big 
Athlete Since  2020

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    In the fall of 2019, I was fat.  Really REALLY fat.  My blood pressure was so high, I was in the emergency room 12 times that year, and my cholesterol was through the roof.  The worst was that I couldn't do the things I loved any more.  On a trip to Arizona, I tried hiking, and I simply could not get up the hill.  I was 51, sick and miserable.  Something had to change. 

    That Christmas Eve, I had life-saving, life-changing bariatric surgery.   I lost 30 pounds almost immediately, and the weight kept melting off.  I started walking--first one driveway down the street, then two, then around the block.  As soon as I was cleared for exercise, I began lifting weights.   Then COVID hit, and the gym was closed.  I bought a bike and fell in love.   My first ride was 8 miles and I almost died.   But by September, I could ride 100 miles in a day!

    The exhilaration of cycling made triathlon tempting.  I thought I was a pretty good swimmer (I wasn't!), but could I run?  Years of obesity had damaged my knees, and I didn't have the fitness to run 100 yards.  That is when I met Brant Bahler, and my dream was born:  by God, I was going to finish an Olympic triathlon! 

    Coach Bahler taught me how to run in a way that protected my knees.  He helped me build my tolerance for running up slowly.   Soon I was running a mile, then a 5K then--I could hardly believe it!--I could run a 10K.   The same progress was happening in the pool.   With his help, I was swimming more easily, more efficiently.  Bit by bit, I could swim 500 meters at a go.  Soon, 1500 meters, the length of the swim in an Olympic triathlon, was a piece of cake.  

    I did my first triathlon at age 52.  It was an Olympic distance, and my goal was simply "don't die."   I figured I'd run alone and finish alone.  But when I came down the hill towards the finish line, my entire Dream Big team was there in neon green, waiting and cheering for me!  I was so happy to have survived.   But as I was packing to leave, Fred texted me.  "Where are you?  YOU PLACED SECOND IN ATHENA CLASS!"   

    Now I'm an addict.   Training every day, giving it my all, meeting goals, being out in the sunshine----all of it has made me more focused, more mobile, and so much happier.   My depression is a thing of the past.  My blood pressure is low.  And this summer, I happily hiked five miles straight up a mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park, no stopping!   Now I'm heading for my first 70.3, which I will finish at age 53.   The Dream Big team gave me my life back.

Bob 53, Sparta TN
Race Highlights: Ironman 70.3
Dream Big Athlete Since 2020

 

   After seeing my son run Lake Placid Ironman 2018 and me being one of the heaviest people around that day, I wanted to reignite the fire of the young athlete I was many years earlier. I love to workout and over the years spent a lot of time in the gym powerlifting.  All the years of wear and tear did not allow me to train in recent years as I did as a younger man.  I got heavy and very out of shape. 2019 was great year.  I lost 70 lbs, trained like a crazy man, with a steep learning curve having not done endurance sports previously.  My first run was to the neighbors mailbox and back, First Bike was 4 miles and the first swim was 100 meters, all of which I thought were going to kill me..... But I felt alive again.   I did several 5K's, a 10K, a sprint tri, an Olympic tri and an IRONMAN 70.3  in 2019. 

   I met Brant after reading Sue Reynolds Book "The Athlete Inside," in the fall of 2020 and thought "I want some of that", but more importantly "I needed Some of That".  Like Sue, I struggled with my weight since being a young man after coming home from the Marine Corps.  I reached out to Sue and she pointed me to Brant.  He began guiding me in Oct of 2020.  We got off to a decent start and then Covid hit and I really struggled to stay on track.  I'm in healthcare and the last couple of years have been brutal from a work schedule perspective.  I've been inconsistent with my training plan and continue to struggle with my eating and weight.  

 

   Over the last 15 months Brant has been consistent and continually motivating, in light of my less than stellar performance.  He has a way of helping me feel encouraged when I beat up on myself and does not allow me the benefit of excuses.  He always has words of encouragement, accountability and focuses on the positive.  So far Brant has lived up to his end of the deal, I have not, I've got work to do.   I continue to watch the Dream Team website, Brants facebook and really enjoy seeing all of the teams pictures from races.  I really want to earn a place on the Dream Team and hopefully come up and race with them in the future in Indiana.  2022 will be a much better year.

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Sue Meadows 60, Meriden CT
Race Highlights: Sprint Tri Finisher 
Dream Big Athlete Since 2020

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   I started sprint triathlons in 2012, completing three my first year and in 2013. For the next 7 years my children's sports dominated my free time. Then last December 28th, 2020 I hired coach Brant.

   My progress changed right away with a plan to be consistent and having Brant tell me what, when, and for how long to do everything. That made all the difference. I had been trying for years to lose weight and always got stuck. This time my focus wasn’t losing weight, but being consistent and preparing for bigger longer races. This mindset changed made a huge difference. At one year with coach Brant I’m down 40 pounds, but my consistency is there. Now I’m entering year 2, I've upgraded my gear with a new treadmill so I can't have any excuses for my runs. 

   It’s not about getting ready for just a race in particular. It is getting ready for all the races I've dreamed about and preparing to make them come true! It’s a lifestyle change. I want to have a coach until my 90’s or beyond! Putting my dreams and my health first made all the difference! I’m looking forward to what this year will bring! I’m one day closer to making all my dreams come true!

Rebecca Klingenberg 41, Florence KY
Race Highlights: Ironman, Half Ironman
Dream Big Athlete Since 2021

    As a mom of three daughters, I wanted them to have a front row seat in watching their mom achieve her dreams. My love for triathlon grew throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and Coach Brant was someone who saw beyond my limits and guided me to finishing 9th in my age group at Ironman Indiana, first place finish at Tri Louisville, and top 30% at Ironman Ohio 70.3 - in just my first year of racing!

 

  Training for these events allows me to harness my drive towards achieving seemingly impossible goals. By day I’m a senior sales director, who loves to volunteer in my community, and actively participate in my local triathlon and running clubs. Brant has taught me to enjoy the journey and not the destination - if you're not having fun you are doing it wrong! Let’s go Kentucky Wildcats!!!!

Follow her journey on instagram @be.an.ironman

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Cathryn Nacario 52, San Diego CA
Race Highlights: Ironman 70.3

Dream Big Athlete Since 2021

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  I have always had a love for helping people, especially those in most need.  I started career as a Registered Nurse working in Public Health and then on to administrative roles as Executive Director of a rural federally qualified health clinic, the Executive Director and owner of an Independent Review Board for Human Subject Research, a Divisional Vice President of Business Development. Now I am in my most important and satisfying role as the CEO of a non-profit, the National Alliance on Mental Illness for San Diego and Imperial Counties.  This role allows me to serve, advocate, and support individuals living with mental health challenges and addiction disorders.  I am able to create change and better lives for a population that is often unseen and faces significant stigma in our communities.  Being in this role has given me great personal joy as well as being recognized in the San Diego Business Journal's SD500 as one of the most influential people in San Diego County in 2021.  I am the mother to a 21 year old daughter and 14 year old step-daughter with my husband Jules.  Jules has supported me through my crazy training as a triathlete and my journey currently in 2022 of becoming a full Ironman as I train with Coach Brant for October 23, 2022, at the age of 53 when I race on that date.  Coach Brant coached me to a finish at my first Ironman 70.3 in Indian Wells, CA in December 2021.  Coach Brant has provided me with the training tools and guidance to truly be the best athlete I can be.  I am so looking forward to the laughs, tears, and comedy during training over the next 9 months!  Wouldn't do it without you Coach Brant!

www.namisandiego.org for local assistance and support.

Cindy Walters 49, Bradley IL
Race Highlights: Pleasant Prairie Olympic 

Dream Big Athlete Since 2021

 

   I am not new to Triathlons but still a rookie.  My life is full between working, being a mom and solving my daughters "small world" problems.  Triathlons help me even it out just a little.  My husband Scott, daughter Maddy and I are avid campers or glampers as my friends tell me.  We spend most summers with her travel softball team and camp wherever we go.  Its always an adventure.  Having fun is the most important part and that is what I enjoy most about the swim, bike, run.  Being with good people and enjoying the celebration of a job well done are the best parts.

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Past Dreamers Who Became Achievers

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