We absolutely love and appreciate our Ambassadors! They are a great team of humans that make the cogs in the wheel of our events run smoothly. Meet Melissa Gomez, one bad-ass runner and an essential part of the Cascade Relays Ambassador Team. Read about her experiences and how she came to be a member of the Cascade Relays family.
When and how did you first run in a Cascade Relays event?
I jumped on an awesome Cascade Lakes Relay team ‘Running On Empty’ back in 2013 and they were all total strangers. I ran with a gal who had mentioned to me that her friends team need a runner. I had always wanted to run CLR and well, so now was my chance and I jumped on the team! I have been running with this team every since! It’s a great crew! I am very thankful for them… it has opened a lot of doors for me.
What is your most memorable moment running in an event?
This is a tough! I have so many memorable moments… but, I will have to say one of my favorite moments of all time, would have to be Cascade Lakes Relay 2016. I was running my first leg of the day which was leg 3. It was a hot one that morning and of course I was running in a tank top and shorts. A couple of miles in I always shed my tank and end up in my sports bra which that day happened to be a nice hot pink one! ha ha! This gal catches up to me on the road, her and I started chatting while we are running in that awful heat! She tells me that she could spot me from way back and said that she had planned to catch the girl in the “pink bra”. Well, later that night while I was running my 2nd leg of the event which was super late at night. This awesome group of ladies (Sole Sisters) come driving up beside me yelling ‘go pink bra’ and of course that name has stuck with me ever since! To this day, when I see those gals at different events I still get called “pink bra”. I love it!!
What do you most enjoy about being an ambassador?
The thing I most enjoy about being an ambassador is all the amazing people I get to meet! We as runners come from all walks of life and it is just incredible. The friendships that I have made with other ambassadors is wonderful. I enjoy sharing with everyone all the excitement of all our awesome relays! I love being apart of the amazing family of Cascade Relays!
What has your running practice done for you personally?
Running keeps me grounded…Running doesn’t judge! It has helped me through so much in my personal life. I have made some amazing and wonderful friendships through my running. I am very thankful everyday for my running…whether I am fast or slow it doesn’t matter! I just love to get out there and enjoy the day!