Our Story

There’s an athlete everyone sees. And then there’s the other athlete.

Eric and I met in 1995 at a grocery store deli.

I was in high school, on lunch break with a friend who was meeting her boyfriend. He brought Eric with him. I still remember thinking he had the greenest eyes I had ever seen.

We were married the day after I graduated high school in 1996. We raised two kids, Felicity and Tristan, and spent the years that followed doing what families do—Girl Scouts, soccer, Tae Kwon Do, cheerleading, volleyball, flag football, basketball, school activities, cars, fishing and a whole lot of showing up.

Endurance sports weren't part of our story yet.

Then 2020 happened.

Eric started running. Running turned into triathlons. Triathlons turned into marathons, ultramarathons and eventually Ironman.

In 2022, I watched him compete in his first triathlon at Lake Mead. I was ridiculously overprepared, had absolutely no idea what to expect—and I was incredibly proud of him.

I also learned something pretty quickly:

This is not an easy spectator sport.

Supporting takes endurance, too.

Being the supporter means planning travel, watching the weather, making sure the gear gets where it needs to go and understanding how important all those hours of training are.

On race day, it can mean walking miles just to see your athlete for a few seconds as they come through transition.

During a marathon or ultra, it means waiting…and waiting…and then somehow figuring out exactly where you need to be at exactly the moment they need you.

There are logistics involved in loving an endurance athlete that nobody really warns you about.

And sometimes support means knowing when not to take over.

During one of Eric's backyard ultras, I could see that he was reaching his limit. As badly as I wanted to help, the decision to continue couldn't be mine. I had to stand beside him and let him be the one to call it.

Then there are the moments that make every early morning, long drive and hour spent waiting worth it.

Watching Eric finish his first 70.3 Ironman was one of those moments. I was so overwhelmed with pride that it was almost impossible not to cry.

That's when you realize:

You may not be the person crossing the finish line.

But somehow, you've been on the journey too.

Then came one very simple idea.

At the end of August 2026, we were talking about Eric's upcoming full Ironman.

I wanted something fun to wear, so I started searching online.

Everything I found was…fine.

But I didn't want fine.

I wanted something that felt like me.

So, sitting on my couch, I started imagining the shirts I wished existed.

The first idea?

HE RACES. I BRUNCH.

Because it's true. Once Eric leaves on the bike, I've got a couple of hours to kill. I'm finding brunch.

One design became another. Then another.

Somewhere in all that brainstorming, The Other Athlete Co. appeared.

And suddenly it wasn't just about making myself a shirt.

I realized there were a whole lot of us out there.

The spouses. The parents. The kids. The grandparents. The friends. The people in the bleachers and on the sidelines. The ones carrying gear, making signs, driving the miles and standing at finish lines.

The people who simply keep showing up.

The next day, I founded ENDURKIN LLC.

About two weeks later, I sent my family one of our Instagram posts.

Eric asked, “So you're thinking about starting a business?”

My answer was simple:

“No. I started the business.”

Felicity started sending me ideas she'd actually wear—which gave me the younger perspective I desperately needed.

Tristan's review was considerably shorter:

“That's cool.”

I'll take it.

Who is The Other Athlete?

To me, The Other Athlete is the person you can count on to be there.

And if you're really lucky, you have an entire crew of Other Athletes cheering for you.

That's why this brand isn't only about endurance sports. It's for every kind of supporter, across every kind of sport and every kind of pursuit.

I created The Other Athlete Co. because I am the other athlete.

I'm standing beside all the other spouses, parents, kids, family members and friends who invest their time, energy and hearts into helping someone they love chase something that matters to them.

I want you to have something you're comfortable wearing and proud to wear.

But more than anything, I want you to know:

I see you.

What you're doing matters, too.

Because behind so many athletes is another athlete who helped make the journey possible.

Every athlete has another athlete.

And you're part of the story, too.