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Coolibar Athletes Jim Webster

The Spirit of Competition Includes Sun Safety

Jim Webster "Web"

Coolibar continues highlighting our Sponsored Athletes for 2014. Here, long range marksman Jim Webster talks about striving for excellence and staying safe at the same time.

By Jim Webster

If I were to wager, I’d bet most of you have probably heard the phrase, “you have to burn before you tan”.  That was a favorite quote around my house.  We heard it every year from relatives when the family would go to VA Beach during the summer.

Vacation was always the last two weeks in August; right before school started when the sun absolutely baked the sand every day. You left for the beach first thing in the morning and didn’t come home until dinner. Umbrellas – not a chance. If you got too hot you just jumped in the water. That’s just the way it was 35 years ago.  And bake we did, then peel, then eventually the pink would turn brown by the time we were ready to head back to NY.

I am fortunate that my father’s side of the family is from the St. Kitts, a small island in the Caribbean about 200 miles southeast of San Juan.  This heritage means I tan quite easily, and over the years I have spent more than my share of time in the sun. So far I have been lucky. I will turn 49 this summer and have only had one spot on my arm that needed to be checked. It turned out to be nothing.

But that wasn’t the case for a friend of mine. Crockett, as he was known, was 50 years old in October of ‘99 when the doctor examined what he thought was a mole on his shoulder. It proved to be melanoma, and a short time later my friend lost his fight with skin cancer.

Jim Webster - Long Range Shooting

Long-range shooting competitions are one of my passions.  Events are held in wide-open areas.  They have to be for safety purposes. Picture an area that is 10 football fields long by five football fields wide.

Shooting begins early in the morning and runs until evening (e.g. similar to the days at the beach), and the only shade is what you find under the brim of your hat. Take in too much sun during the day and not only will your performance suffer, you could find yourself in a fight where the odds are not in your favor.

In my mind, what makes me an athlete it is what makes us all athletes: a willingness to push ourselves through whatever adversity life presents. Whether it is parenting, being a good friend, or success in work or competition, inherently we all want to do well. It feels good to perform well, and even better to win. Being able to harness this drive separates an average performance from an exceptional one.

Am I different than most? I don’t view it that way.  I am fortunate to have a supportive family and good friends. I do everything I can to make each day and each experience the best possible.

The bottom line: I enjoy spending time outside with my family and traveling to competitions. I enjoy the beach, and can’t wait to go back.  Simply stated, I don’t want to miss out on any of those opportunities. If being smart about my exposure to UV makes those things possible, then it is worth my time and effort. Coolibar makes is easy with comfortable active wear for every sport.

Have fun and stay safe,

WEB

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Coolibar Athletes Jim Webster

A Scene from the Mountain

JIm Webster - Coolibar 2014 Sponsored Athlete

Throughout June, Coolibar gives each of our 2014 Sponsored Athletes the spotlight. For a quick look at all of our 2014 athletes, go here.

By Jim Webster

Checking in from Beacon, New York: the 2014 competitive rifle season is just starting for me, but my training regimen, both strength and cardio, is year round.

One of my favorite places to train is Mt. Beacon. This hill rises 1,400 vertical feet from my frJim Webster - Trainingont door and was once home to one of the longest incline railways in world.  Steep and ever-changing terrain make it a perfect natural gym.

During the week before work, Molly and I will head to the park and do laps on the steps.  On the weekends we extend our hikes to the many trails that have formed over the years.  The photo is from the beginning of Mt. Beacon Park – these 200 steps are the warm-up.  When you stop for water you throw in a set of push-ups…not as a penalty, but to make the most of your break.

When I am not on the mountain, I study and instruct jujitsu at a local dojo.  The combination of these very active pursuits is a perfect balance for the calm that is required when I am behind the rifle.  The better my cardio, the more patient I am when attempting to score a center hit on the target that is more than half a mile away.

I really like the versatility of Coolibar’s line.  For example, the sun was not bearing down on me in the photo above; in fact the temperature was just over 40 degrees F.  Just the same, the UV is present. The combination of the Cool Fitness Shirt and Neck Gaiter added enough breathable warmth to remain comfortable and protected the entire workout.

Stay tuned for more scenes from the mountain.  Train hard and stay safe.

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Athlete Profiles Coolibar Athletes

Meet the Coolibar Sponsored Athletes for 2014

Coolibar - Meet the Athletes

Each year, Coolibar proudly sponsors a group of athletes who are uncommonly passionate in pursuit of their chosen sports, and also for personal excellence and healthy outdoor living. Our 2014 Coolibar Sponsored Athletes are some of our finest yet. We’re proud to introduce them today. Stay tuned – you’ll hear much more from and about them throughout 2014!

Stesha Carle

Stesha Carle, 2014 Cooilbar Athlete

Winner of nine international medals, Stesha Carle has participated in rowing races all over the world. Stesha is a native of La Habra, California and rowed for the Long Beach Junior Crew in high school. She was recruited to the University of Michigan, where she earned a degree in Motion Science. Following college she trained with the women’s US National rowing team in Princeton, NJ for six years. Currently Stesha trains in California for SoCal Scullers, with a goal of winning gold at the 2016 Olympic Games. Stesha is a project coordinator for Fastech, a rowing machine instructor for Roworx and a personal trainer.  She enjoys running, hiking and exploring sunny California.

Stesha credits rowing with changing her life. Also, her priorities regarding sun protection changed after her father’s surgery to remove melanoma from his cheek – important in a sport that involves being on the water every morning.

Mekia Earle

Mekia Earle - Coolibar Athlete 2014

Born and raised in Honolulu, Mekia Earle has always maintained a love of the outdoors and fitness, as well as a high standard as a healthy role model to the younger generation growing up in Hawaii. She began playing beach volleyball at a young age, and attended college on an athletic scholarship in the Pacific Northwest. Fitness plays a major role in Mekia’s life. She holds a masters degree in Kinesiology and teaches girls physical education for grades 5 – 8 at Punahou School on Oahu; she also coaches and does color commentary for high school volleyball programs and works out every day to stay fit.

Mekia says that almost everyone who grew up in Hawaii has been affected by skin cancer directly or indirectly. As a wife (her husband recently had skin cancer removed from his neck) and a mother of two children, she is committed to imparting knowledge, awareness and understanding about healthy lifestyles and being smart about the sun.

 Jim Webster

Jim Webster, Long Range Rifle Marksman, Coolibar Athlete 2014

Jim Webster grew up in the Catskills of central New York, where the surroundings and his dad instilled in him a great love and respect for the outdoors. During many fishing outings he learned how to read the water, to spot changes in the environment and most of all what it means to be a conservationist. These skills translated into the patience, observation and practice required to become a marksman, as well as the respect for equipment and the responsibility to firearms safety. He says his dad’s insistence on reviewing the range rules lessened his youthful curiosity about firearms and at the same time broadened his respect for them. Since 2011 Jim has specialized in long range shooting competitions. He has won seven gold medals in 2012 and 14 more in 2013. He is the 2013 NY State F-T/R Long Range champion, and plans to compete in the US Nationals in Arizona in fall 2014. In the near future Jim hopes to open his own marksmanship academy for students of any experience or shooting discipline, with a consistent focus on safety and responsibility.

Jim lives in New York state with his wife Molly and daughter Katie (both very goodmarkswomen in their own right) and enjoys hiking, escaping to the beach and fishing with friends in Rhode Island…all good tests for Coolibar’s complete line of UV protective clothing.

Valerie Stewart

Valerie Stewart - Coolibar 2014 Sponsored Athletes

Valerie grew up a self-described tomboy on a big wheat farm in Washington State. She waterskiied on the Snake River, rode horses bareback, and found plenty of potentially dangerous fun. However, Valerie found no outlet for formal sports until she was 40 years old, with an eight-month-old baby, and began snowboarding.  Soon hopelessly addicted, Valerie competed in the Lake Tahoe division of USASA (United States of America Snowboard  Association) and medaled at every competition; she went on to compete and medal at the national level for the next six seasons.Valerie is the owner of Pow Productions, a video production company that has produced two international snowboarding videos, “Hips That Rip” and “Outlaws to Olympians;” the latter received an award at the 20th Annual Telly Awards.

Valerie belongs to several groups that kayak the rivers, lakes, and bays of northern California. She also enjoys yoga. She says, “When I’m physically active, I feel free, happy, strong, capable, confident, and young.”

Trey Seibold

Trey Seibold, Tennis - Cooilbar Athlete 2014

Born and raised in Florida, Trey Seibold picked up a tennis racquet during college and has never looked back; he has been a professional tennis instructor for the past 25 years.

In addition, Trey participates in triathlons and races surf skis. He’s placed in every race that he competed in this year. His goal is to constantly improve in every aspect of his personal and professional life.

Trey lives in Fort Lauderdale with his wife and three stepchildren. Trey works and trains outdoors seven days a week, so sun protection extremely important. Six months ago he discovered Coolibar and has been wearing it ever since. Coolibar is not only protecting him from the sun, keeps him cool and feeling comfortable since he wears it up to 11 hours! Trey wants to share the importance of sun protection to everyone he works with.

Jerry Leonard

Jerry Leonard, Coach, Coolibar Athlete 2014

Jerry Leonard is a three-time Louisiana state power lifting champion and the athletic director at Salmen High School – his alma mater – where he has been a high school football coach, biology and physiology & anatomy teacher for over 20 years.

He grew up in south Louisiana and spent a great deal of time outside, playing sports and enjoying the outdoors. Jerry is an avid golfer and fitness enthusiast. When he is not outside for work-related activities, he’s usually outside enjoying recreation with his family.

Jerry says Coolibar is a great partner for him to enjoy his time in the sun and protect himself from sun damage. Jerry says, “I like the idea of being able to wear cool and comfortable clothing in the Louisiana heat while being fully protected. Coolibar has given me the ability to enjoy my time outside, do my job, and limit my exposure to the harmful effects of the sun…much to the approval of my dermatologist.”

Leslie Jackson

Leslie Jackson, SUP, Coolibar Athlete 2014

Growing up in SoCal, Leslie Jackson always thought of the beach as her “happy place.” Today, it’s her gym. A not-so-typical mother of two in Carlsbad, California, Leslie began standup paddleboarding (SUP) in early 2013 and quickly graduated to SUP racing. She has a passion for fitness, the ocean and the outdoors, and incorporates SUP into her other pursuits including interval or cross training and yoga.

Her inspiration for activity likely comes from the medical equipment business she owns with her husband, which for many years has served people with disabilities. Recently the business has broadened into custom and adaptive recreational equipment, including the development of an adaptive paddleboard for people with disabilities.

Leslie also shares the joy of sports with her kids, ages 9 and 11 (she’s also an unabashed soccer mom) and trains them in the basics of standup paddleboarding.

Rich Early

Rich Early, softball, Coolibar Athlete 2014

As an eight-year-old in Phoenix, Arizona, Rich Early remembers accomplishing his first athletic goal: getting picked after school to play with the older boys on a real baseball field. Today, he spends winter months in the Pacific Northwest playing indoor tennis and working out in his home gym specifically to stay in shape for the sport he still loves: softball.

By itself this is another impressive accomplishment. A few years ago, Rich developed a sensitivity to UV rays. Sunscreen caused his eyes to itch and water. He was forced to quit playing tournament ball for several years. Coolibar clothing to the rescue – Rich was able to resume the sport this past May.

Rich’s team finished 2nd in the 65 age bracket at the Senior Winter Nationals games in Phoenix last November, as his family watched him play for the first time in more than 50 years. Rich uses his upcoming softball season, which will conclude at the Huntsman Senior Games in St. George, Utah in October, as inspiration as he pushes through his winter workout program.

Kaitlyn Price

Kaitlyn Price, golferA native Floridian, Kaitlyn grew up in the outdoors playing at the beach, soccer field or golf course. Although she played many different sports growing up, she found her true passion was golf. Playing and excelling in countless junior and amateur events gave her the opportunity to play collegiate golf at The University of Central Florida. A recent graduate with a degree in Public Administration and Sports Business Management, Kaitlyn is currently preparing to follow her dream to be a professional golfer.

Kaitlyn has realized the importance of skin protection from her mother who is a two-time melanoma survivor. Along with golfing, Kaitlyn enjoys cycling and boating.

 

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