Meet your Ambassadors
Claire Colebrook: State College, PA
I am a professor at Penn State. Decades of teaching have taught me that you can achieve more when you work collectively. This is especially true when it comes to fitness. For nearly a decade I co-owned a group fitness studio that also researched the variables of working out (everything from heart rate variability to bone density). I was privileged to watch peoples lives transform for the better once they started working out with others — appreciating the different levels of achievement and enjoying each others accomplishments. I joined Rise Up Racing in 2022 and have been given a new lease of life by working with a team. Endurance training is now giving me the same community buzz that attracted me to group fitness — but with the added benefit of offering some significant challenges.
Frank Zaffino: State College, PA
My name is Frank Zaffino and I reside in State College, PA with my wife and two teenage children. I am an Instructor in Kinesiology at The Pennsylvania State University – Altoona campus.
I have been participating and competing in endurance events for the last 23 years, particularly, marathons and Ironman’s. I am passionate about introducing new individuals to the sport of triathlon and have trained many friends to complete their first Ironman.
Centre County (Northern Tier)
Rachel Cessna: Howard, PA
I grew up originally in Baltimore, MD and graduated from UMBC with a degree in Biochemistry. After spending several summers ocean guarding in Ocean City, MD, I decided to attend Officer Candidate School for the United States Coast Guard. I served actively for three years and was stationed on a cutter in Virginia, then spent a year at headquarters in Washington D.C. Marrying my husband brought me to PA in 2002 and I became involved in early childhood education. I have spent the past 20 years in the ECE field as a teacher and now administration and hold my Master’s in ECE. Jerry and I have four children and moved to Howard from Chester County PA in 2020.
My sister introduced me to the sport of triathlon several years ago and my first race was with her at the Dewey Beach Sprint Triathlon in 2016. We spent several years racing with Piranha Sports. Most of their races were taken over by Kinetic in which I have numerous age group podium placements with. I enjoy racing sprints, have done 1 Olympic distance and recently completed the Happy Valley 70.3! I enjoy swimming and biking and tolerate the running. As a living kidney donor, I am always excited to share with people how amazing that process is and how you can continue to live a normal, healthy lifestyle afterwards.
I am looking forward to working with the team and helping this sport gain some popularity in our area!
