Our Story

Jocelyn: I was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, the middle daughter of Chinese immigrants. My high school was 90% Asian-American, and I never felt like a minority as I ran on the cross country and track teams. However, as I got into triathlons as a college freshman in southern California, and continued racing as I lived in Atlanta and Dallas, it became evident that I was more of a rarity in a white-dominated sport.

In 2009, I became the first Asian-American female professional triathlete and was known as “The Wongstar” on the global Ironman circuit. By default, I was the most recognizable pro on the starting line. It was always my goal to encourage more Asian-Americans to participate in triathlons, and I enjoyed pursuing my dream internationally, connecting with many Asian triathletes along the way. Unfortunately, I was hit by a car while racing Ironman Korea in 2011, and after 22 ironman-distance races, it became evident that my path as a pro triathlete was not physically or financially sustainable. I would return to my career as a prosthetist-orthotist, which would take me to Washington, DC from 2013 to 2015, and I had the honor of making prosthetic legs for injured service members at Walter Reed. I am extremely proud of my pro triathlon career, but one of my few regrets is that I never had as much impact as I had hoped for as an AAPI pro triathlete.

Joanna: I was born in Korea, adopted by a Bolivian mom and German Irish dad when I was an infant, and grew up in St. Louis, MO during a time when there weren't a lot of folks who looked like me (or frankly, like my family!). I wasn't an athlete growing up; instead of running ultras, I biked to the public library and was schlepped to math club and piano lessons. I also heard “no” a lot - No, you can’t be an athlete. Size 18 girls can’t run. No, you can’t be our first non-white valedictorian. No, you can’t be my friend because you don’t belong here. Get on your boat and go home. It’s a good thing I don’t listen well ;)

I started running in college to keep some of the mental health demons at bay and instead found freedom and a confidence that grew with every mile. I ran my first marathon in 2008, my first ultra in 2011, and in 2014, I ran across the country (literally!) with Team Red White and Blue while my husband was deployed. Over 30 marathons and ultramarathons and 2 ironman-distance races later, I’ve found the courage to never let “no” deter me from chasing the impossible.

How We Met

Joanna: Jocelyn and I met in DC through Team Red White and Blue and a shared passion to support transitioning military veterans as they reintegrated into the civilian world. We were often mistaken for each other at events. But once the nervous knee jerk laughter wore off, I would wonder how people could mistake a Korean- and Chinese-American for one another? Were there truly so few of us in running and triathlon that we were interchangeable?

Jocelyn: Being called Joanna was not actually an unusual phenomenon as I had been called Katherine in Texas, and later Allison in Delaware. When there's ever one or two other Asian-American women in your running group, apparently we "all look the same".

The Birth of Crazy Fit Asians

Jocelyn: By 2020, the social climate had changed significantly since I had raced in the elite ranks, and unlike over a decade ago, people were now ready to listen. I was really impressed and proud of newly minted pro triathletes Clarice Chastang and Sika Henry for speaking out about the need for more diversity in triathlon, and I realized that it was not too late to continue my dream of bringing more AAPI athletes into the endurance events that I loved. I had my daughter in late 2020 and began to think about what I wanted my legacy to be. I will never forget the sense of empowerment and self-confidence I developed after doing my first triathlon at age 18, something I never felt from my academic success. It carried over to non-athletic aspects of my life, and I hope to share this feeling with my daughter and other Asian-Americans.

Joanna: Because I wasn’t surrounded by many other women who looked like me growing up, I’ve spent a good chunk of my adult life figuring out what identity means. As the mom of a biracial child, identity is more important than ever. As my son grows up, I don’t want him to ever feel limited by the color of his skin, shape of his eyes or others’ misconceptions. I’ve also struggled with trying to redefine and balance my identity as a mom, casual athlete and business executive. As a “model minority,” it’s difficult to say no or accept anything less than perfection in all aspects of my life.

Jocelyn: As I approached my 40th birthday in November 2021, I wanted another crack at the JFK 50-mile, an ultramarathon that I had run twice before, and continued to both frustrate and intrigue me with its difficulty. Only this time, I wanted to put together an all-Asian-American dream team for the women’s team competition. As I started to recruit friends, I was met with nothing but positive responses. And thus "Crazy Fit Asians" was born!

I first reached out to Joanna, who had previously raced JFK three times. We had stayed in touch but truly reconnected after we both became mothers. The 60th edition of JFK would be our first ultra since becoming moms. Next, I approached Caitlyn, who had previously finished in the top 5 at JFK and ran in the 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials. Our daughters are only 2 months apart, and we had bonded during our pandemic pregnancies. Caitlyn raced JFK again in 2021 at 9 months postpartum (!), but was unable to commit for 2022. Instead she recommended Mikka, an experienced ultramarathoner. Clarice was an immediate “YES!” (later opting out in favor of Ironman Arizona), and Rose, who had just done her first triathlon, rounded out our crew. JFK would be Rose’s first ultramarathon.

Joanna: When Jocelyn approached me about building a JFK Asian-American dream team, I was so excited to have a community. Maybe I wasn’t so alone after all. I could give hope to little girls who felt like me. And at the 2022 JFK 50, a group that began as strangers ended as sisters, and that was poetic and powerful.

Jocelyn: Our 2022 JFK race weekend was nothing short of magical. Our team tank tops (and post-race recovery hoodies) were not just a hit with the team, but also with friends and spectators. Caitlyn (19 weeks pregnant!) and our daughters met Joanna, Mikka, Rose, and me at the finish line, and the next day, we cheered from afar as Clarice raced in the elite field at Ironman Arizona.

Most inspiringly, each teammate shared how much it meant for them to be part of this team. We wanted to preserve this feeling of belonging and spread it to others, which led to the creation of Crazy Fit Asians, the brand.

May you feel less alone in your journeys and continue to pursue hard things in athletics and beyond!