2012 Georgia Chain Gang Crew
Amy Westergren-Amlicke
Amy’s connection to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society began in 2004 when she participated in the Gulf Coast Half Ironman Triathlon with the Georgia Chapter of Team In Training. Since then she participated in multiple TNT events as both a participant and as a mentor. She has done multiple fundraising campaigns in conjunction with her husband, Lee. Over the years, Amy has participated in numerous triathlons of all distance including four Ironman triathlon events, several cycling centuries, and cycling time trials. She has dabbled in track cycling and has recently taken up the sport of mountain biking. She hopes to complete her first Xterra triathlon in 2012.
Amy graduated from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana with both a Bachelors and a Masters degree in Psychology/Counseling Psychology. She completed her doctorate in Counseling Psychology from Auburn in 2002 and is a licensed psychologist in the state of Georgia. She currently works for Kennesaw State University as the Director of Counseling & Psychological Services. Amy also recently earned her USAT Level I Triathlon Coaching Certification and is currently completing coursework towards becoming a AASP certified sports psychology consultant.
Amy is looking forward to helping in the effort to end blood cancers by raising money to support LLS all while harassing her husband Lee and assisting the entire Georgia Chain Gang team participate in and finish the mighty Race Across America in 2012.
Celeste Burr
Celeste’s relationship with Team In Training (TNT) began in 2003 when she signed up to participate in the Atlanta to Athens skating event for TNT. Quickly realizing her mistake, (she can’t skate!) she switched mid-season to the tri team and never looked back. Since then she has participated annually in events with Team In Training, including numerous triathlons and more recently century bike rides. She also has served as a mentor and a Group Training Session coordinator for the triathlon program. As a 15 year survivor of Stage 3 Melanoma, working to find a cure for cancer with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is a natural fit for her.
Much of Celeste’s free time is devoted to cycling in other ways as well. She is a member of the Coca-Cola Cycling Club and annually serves as the Event Captain for the Club at the Atlanta Tour de Cure ride. She also leads weekly rides for friends and recently began organizing overnight rides to Anniston, Alabama on the Silver Comet Trail for cyclists in the spring and fall. The spring event is generally the most popular and 30 participants have already signed up for the upcoming ride in April!
As an advocate for cycling, she serves as the Secretary for Bike Cobb, Inc., which is an advocacy group promoting safe cycling in Cobb County. Their group leads the Cobb County branch of Georgia Rides to the Capitol and in 2009 Celeste established the Marietta location for the Ride of Silence to honor those injured or killed while riding their bicycles. To advance her advocacy skills, Celeste recently attended the Georgia Bike Summit and will also attend the National Bike Summit (NBS) in Washington, D.C. in March. At the NBS she is excited to meet with her elected representatives and speak as a cycling advocate!
Celeste has spent her career as a real estate paralegal– first at a private law firm, and now for the last 17 years, in a corporate setting with Coca-Cola Refreshments USA, Inc., formerly Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc.
She is thrilled to be on the Crew for RAAM this year and hopes that her organizational skills and love of all things related to cycling will serve her well as she works with her teammates to successfully complete this event!
Chad Carter
This is the first TNT event Chad has participated in personally. He has attended many TNT fundraising events over the years supporting friends training with TNT and has on occasion ridden side -by-side with TNT team members on many centuries. An avid athlete all of his life, he is new to the sport of triathlon and he personally prefers the distance events. Chad has done multiple half Ironmans and three full Ironman distance races. He loves the training regimen as part of his lifestyle and he finds it amazing to be in the company of so many outstanding athletes.
Chad currently owns and operates both the Carter Family Real Estate Team in Intown Atlanta and he is the co-owner and COO of NMotion Hand and Physical Therapy Centers of Atlanta. After a stint in the US Army as a combat medic, he secured dual bachelor degrees from Kansas State University in Kinesiology and Life Sciences, then graduated from the University of St. Augustine with a Master’s of Science in Physical Therapy. Coming from a farming background in rural Kansas, he comes into real estate simply out of a need to spend more time outdoors working with his hands. Chad rehabilitates numerous historic properties in many of Atlanta’s midtown neighborhoods and subsequently developed a passion for southern residential architecture. Chad finds that breathing life back into these amazing older homes is exhilarating. Having a family of his own, he knows what the home means to the families’ development and he really enjoys working as a Realtor® to help couples find that perfect home.
For Chad, crewing for the Georgia Chain Gang on the RAAM is an absolute honor. He really looks up to Coach Tony and his crew and is grateful to get to participate in this journey with them. Chad is a father of two healthy children, Christian (4) and Chloe (1), and he is very grateful for their good health.
Stephen Harrell
Stephen Harrell is relatively new to the sport of endurance cycling, having begun in earnest in 2010 during recovery from shoulder surgery to repair a weightlifting injury. With a co-worker showing him the cycling ropes he tackled several century rides before meeting several members of the Georgia Chain Gang on a training ride; having recently completed RAAM 2010.
Riding and training with the Gang pushed him further and in 2011 he completed more extreme century races such as the Assualt on Mt. Michell, the Cohutta 100 (a N. U. E. MTB series race), and other well known extreme century rides.
He is excited and honored to join the Georgia Chain Gang for RAAM 2012 with a goal of raising money for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society!
Stephen graduated from Vanderbilt University and has been living in Atlanta for 6 years. He works in supply chain management for Kimberly-Clark.
Neil Fleming
Neil’s connection to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society began in 1998 when he became the cycling coach for the Georgia Chapter of Team In Training. Since then he has coached over 700 participants who have completed over 35 TNT cycling events including 3 of the riders on the 2012 edition of the Georgia Chain Gang. Neil has completed over 200 centuries and as a member of Randonneurs USA recently qualified for and participated in Paris Brest Paris, a 1200 kilometer ride held in France every 4 years. A fractured collar bone 200 km from the finish prevented a successful PBP, but has not kept Neil from 24 consecutive months completing a Randonneur event of 200 kilometers or more.
Following surgery on his shoulder Neil will be training for another 1200 km event in Colorado this summer–and continuing “the streak”.
Neil graduated from the University of Richmond with a BA in Economics. He is now attending Georgia State University pursuing a BS in Exercise Science & Kinesiology. Neil has been a licensed USA Cycling Coach since 2001 (level 1 since 2007), and a certified League Cycling Instructor for the League of American Bicyclists since 2003.
Neil has provided crew support on 4 occasions for TNT cyclists participating in the Heart of the South 500. He is looking forward to his role as a crew chief for the Georgia Chain Gang’s participation in RAAM 2012. He says “Crewing for the Chain Gang should give me a perspective on my dream goal of being the first successful RAAM completer in the 70+ age division”.
Brigette Killion
Charlie Robinson
Charlie is excited to join the Georgia Chain Gang. He followed the team in their two previous successful completions of the Race Across America and became intrigued by the amazing efforts of the racers and the logistics of the race. When the opportunity to become a crew member arose he quickly signed up. He is equally excited by the challenge to raise money to fight blood cancers. Like so many others who have been touched by this disease, he lost his uncle in 2011 after a long battle with chronic leukemic lymphoma.
Charlie is a graduate of Kent State University with a BA in Botany. He has owned and operated Robinson Lawn & Garden Center in Hudson, Ohio since 1982. He is also a grower of gourmet organic produce which he sells to local restaurants and at the Hudson Farmers’ Market in Ohio.
Lynn Teague
Lynn began her career with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training on a hot day in May 1999 in Piedmont Park with Paul and Cindy—the coaches of the 1999 Georgia Team for the Athens to Atlanta (A-2-A) Inline Skate. Almost 13 years later, 3 Inline Skates, 1 Adventure Race, 1 Hike for Discovery, 1 Marathon Walk, 1 Half Marathon and 9 Century Cycling Rides later, she finds herself on the Georgia Chain Gang.
Lynn had Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 1985 and then had a collateral cancer in 2006. So, the work that The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society does has a special meaning for her—fundraising to find better treatments that hopefully will lead to cures for these blood borne cancers has become almost a second career for Lynn. Lynn gets her inspiration from our patient heroes who are still fighting the battle. Lynn also currently serves on the Alumni Advisory Committee for the Team In Training Georgia Chapter.
Lynn is self employed and is the proud—but broke—parent of a daughter, Casey, who attends college at the University of Georgia. She splits her time between Athens and Conyers and shares her home with two sheltie pups—Stella and Tallulah. In her spare time, Lynn enjoys hiking, cycling, scuba diving, dog agility training and traveling.
Bruce Zavodny
Bruce started with Team In Training (TNT) in 1997 as a volunteer on the Honolulu Marathon Walk Team in December of that year. When he crossed the finish line, he knew that he had found a good place, and could not stop. Bruce then became a Mentor, Coaching Assistant and Coach with the program, developed TNT’s combined Run/Walk program, became a GTS Coordinator for the Atlanta-based marathon teams and has helped provide the best supportive program for the marathon teams’ group training sessions within the TNT organization.
Bruce is not only a veteran of the TNT marathon teams, but he has branched out into other TNT offered sports including online skating, triathlons (admittedly swims like a rock), cycle centuries, and adventure racing.
Over the past couple of years, he has had lower back and neck issues which have curtailed any foot-based and cycling distance to a minimal amount. As a result. his time has been devoted to supporting the marathon teams’ group training sessions.
Bruce’s personal connection with cancer is prostate cancer, which he had removed in 2006. Fortunately, so far no one else in his immediate family has been affected by any cancers, although there have been a lot of other issues. There is no guarantee this will not change. Bruce is excited to be a part of the Georgia Chain Gang.
A special thanks to our 2009 and 2010 crews:
2010 Crew Chiefs: Warren Bruno and Jane Eastham
2010 Crew: Tammy Addison, Matthew Corrigan, Mark Engemann, David Gluck, Stephanie Grant, David Laws, Dave Payne, David Rossetti, Marshall Siler
2009 Crew Chiefs: Albert Bodine and Debra Priest
2009 Crew: Jason Allison, Warren Bruno, Christi Condra, Frank Fuerst, Chuck Murphy, Marshall Priest, David Rossetti, Melanie Zinger
