Name: Erin (woost) Wuestman
Age: 32
Hometown: Selden, New York
Current Town: Selden
Marital Status: Single and on the prowl 😉
Children: None
Pets: Oreo (Guinea pig)
Occupation: Physical Therapist Assistant
Greetings, hillbillies!
I was born and raised in Selden. I moved down to Patchogue for a spell, but moved back home after a breakup. I played soccer from 3-14 years of age. I hated running, I was always a goalie or a wing. I didn’t have to run too much just sprint once and awhile. Running was a punishment during practice for goofing off. Eventually I got tired of the cattiness of the girls on the school team and stopped playing after I realized no matter how much I begged they wouldn’t let me play with the boys. Instead of finding a new sport I enjoyed, I got lazy and mischievous. I snuck out at night and ate snacks and fast food late at night with my friends.
After switching my majors a couple times while at Suffolk community college, I graduated in 2006 from the honors college and transferred to LIU C.W. Post for nutrition. I decided that I needed to lose weight and eat healthy in order to practice what I would preach once I graduated. I started hitting the gym and running on the treadmill and strength training. After graduating in 2008 I couldn’t find a job in my field and continued to work as aide at a physical therapy office in Huntington full time. After 2 yrs I realized I loved the field and decided to go back to Suffolk for physical therapist assistant.
On our first day of PTA classes in January our professor told us to turn to the person next to us and get to know each other. I was at the end of the isle so I turned to the only person next to me and started introducing myself. Marlise, 20 yrs my senior was a runner and recently gotten into triathlons. When she found out I ran for exercise she made it her mission to get me to run a 5k. That November I ran my first turkey trot in Kings Park. That summer I ran the James Port 10k. When we graduated from the PTA program in 2014 she turned her mission to get me to start triathlons.
I volunteered for eventpower’s mini pool mighty man and was hooked. The following year I completed the mini pool mighty man. I have since completed a bunch of sprints, and last year was my first Olympic distance. Last year was also my first half marathons (Suffolk county and Rehobeth Delaware).
So how did I become a Selden Hills Warrior? My boss (a six or seven time Ironman) told me about the Port Jeff Brewery run. I had already done the Blue Point 10 miler so I had to sign up! I decided (with the help of Craig Alan) that I should run the hills as part of my training. And the rest as they say is history!