Name: Talia Fromm
Nickname(s): Boopa, Frommie, T
Age: 34
Hometown: Bayside, NY
Current: Long Beach, NY
Occupation: Early Childhood & Elementary Physical Education Director
School: Towson University (BS), Brooklyn College (MS)
Multi-Distance Triathlete –> can’t afford kids & pets 😉
To quote Marc Saffren’s intro to his June 2018 Saturday Spotlight post, “having only been a member for a year, I was a little tentative about accepting the Warrior of the Week, but how do you say no to Lou?”
I don’t get to run the hills as often as I’d like, but when I do, they never disappoint. Whether it’s a short 5k or going the Scream Machine distance and more, I find myself challenged, accomplished, and in a great mood because of the many warriors who wave, greet, and encourage you along the way. I’ve grown to love this community of runners and I’m excited to continue getting out to Selden as much as possible. Thanks to my good friend and teammate Tara Hofmayer for first getting me to the hills.
I grew up in Queens and I was the typical neighborhood tomboy. My group of friends (all boys) and I would ride our bikes EVERYWHERE. Nowadays I laugh when I visit family back home, as the hills that seemed so long and steep to me as a child are actually not that intimidating at all. Perspective is a funny thing. We would wake up extra early before school to play, and depending on the season, we’d set up handball games against the school walls, get some 5v5 basketball going, play stickball, etc. Then we’d anxiously wait for school to be over to resume where we had left off until the sun went down. It was a great way to grow up and things were pretty simple back then. I was also notorious for coming back home each night before dinner with some blood on my clothes and gashes on my elbows & knees. Graceful, I was not…
School and league sports with all the boys continued until I got to HS, where I then joined the softball and basketball teams. I wanted to go on and get a basketball scholarship, but repeated tears to my meniscus and ACL put me on the path towards receiving one in softball. I was a catcher and went on to play for Towson University in Maryland. Having played baseball and softball for most of my life, I was definitely looking for something different and new to get myself into after graduation. I moved back to NY and a few friends were members of a women’s pro football team, so I gave it a shot. I enjoyed playing, but when I got the opportunity shortly after to try out women’s rugby, I was HOOKED. The community and the social aspects of the game drew me in as much as the sport itself.
I may have always been strong and athletic, but speedy & fast were never words used in describing any of my skill sets. After years of rugby socials built on partying & drinking, I decided to really focus on my fitness and get myself into better shape. Plus, a good breakup is always solid motivation to look extra good, am I right ladies??? 😉 I began to swim, run, and get back into lifting weights. For better or worse, I’m a 0 or 100 kind of person. I love competition as much as I love self improvement. If I do something, I ultimately like to compete in it. So…there was no chance I would take up swimming and running just for fitness or fun without looking for a way to race. The combination of the two got me looking into competing in a sprint triathlon to start with (Montauk MightyMan Sprint), and the rest is history. I’ve now got many distances in triathlon under my belt, most recently finishing IRONMAN Mont-Tremblant. Through triathlon and all the groups/athletes I get to train with (Selden very much included), I’ve regained the supportive community and social aspects that I was missing so much from rugby and other team sports, except now I’m much healthier & happier – and even faster! =)
Lots of kudos go to you maniacs who are accumulating some VERY impressive mileage on the hills, and I hope to continue meeting more of you out there soon. I’m looking forward to sharing more about myself during the week and learning about future Warriors of the Week!