Vanessa Fraser joins the Spring Team

We are thrilled to introduce our newest athlete to join the Spring Team, Vanessa Fraser! Vanessa has an all-star running resume that started when she was just in the 3rd grade. She fell in love with running from the start, dedicated her younger years to training hard for her passion, and continues to grow as an athlete in the sport.

As a child, Vanessa had positive experiences with her introduction to running through the non-profit Girls on the Run, whose mission is to inspire girls in building confidence and life skills through running and other physical activities. Although she tried other sports such as basketball, her hand-eye coordination wasn’t her strongest talent. Vanessa enjoyed playing tennis, gymnastics and riding horses, but running is what excited her the most. After running middle school track, she continued running in high school, choosing longer distances in the 2 mile - 5k categories. Her running career during this time included two Division 4 Championships in the state of California, sending her to her dream college of Stanford University, where she competed on the team for 5 years. (First year Red Shirt). She primarily ran the 5000, yet sometimes the 10k, which was the distance she landed a championship win in the Pac 12 in 2018. Not only did Vanessa succeed in running during her college years, but she also received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Symbolic Systems and a Masters Degree in Management in Science and Engineering. 

During her senior year at Stanford, Vanessa ran some exceptional races, in addition to her first US championship race where she placed 7th in the 5k distance in a field of professional runners. Shortly after, in the summer of 2018, she landed her first sponsorship with Nike and joined the premier running club, the Bowerman Track Club. 

This year Vanessa had her half marathon debut at the Houston Marathon in January, where she finished in a time of 1:11, 13th place. She also participated in the San Francisco 100x1 Mile Relay with 100 other female runners, crushing the world record with an average pace of 5:35 amongst ages varying from 13-63. Vanessa is currently training hard for her fall and winter racing season with the long-term goal of finishing the Olympic Marathon Trials in February 2024 with a sub 2:30 time. Her typical week includes strategized running workouts, strength training, mobility, and a nutrition plan that includes plenty of Spring gels, iron supplements, and her favorite carbs of bagels, pasta and sweet potatoes. 

We are so lucky to have Vanessa join our growing team of accomplished athletes, and can’t wait to follow her journey to the olympic trials in Orlando next year! Welcome Vanessa!