Emily Kratz is a three year veteran of the Wattie Ink team. I first *officially* met her when she cruised to an age group win at Oceanside 70.3 in 2013. She made it look ridiculously easy, and was all smiles and jokes at the finish line. Unbeknownst to me, I had watched her stamp her ticket to Kona the previous season at Ironman Wisconsin, and, as a fellow Midwesterner, have been racing WELL BEHIND her since about 2008. Why hadn't I met her or known her by reputation before? Well, this dynamo is also the quietest racer and most humble girl I know: she declines to publicly flaunt her significant accomplishments in our amateur sport, instead celebrating the little things and exhibiting gratitude every day.
I'm not cursed with her subtlety, so I'll brag for her: Emily absolutely trashed the competition at Ironman Texas (you know, the North American Championship) a few weeks ago. She earned first amateur female overall by more than a minute, and threw down a remarkable 3:23 marathon in The Woodlands' sticky-icky conditions. The best part? It's not her first time winning this event, and having declined to return to Kona in October, it may be her last triathlon of the season. We're staying tuned to find out what adventures await Ms. Kratz before (and after) the snow falls in Milwaukee, but meanwhile she granted me this rare and unconventional interview ...via text.
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