Jen Rulon's Personal Statement

My Personal Statement for my Master's Degree at UTSA.  

(Graduate in May 2012. Maybe I need to re-read this once in a while!)

People often ask me…”Why would you want to leave your dream job?  Why would you want to leave the killer whales and Sea World?”  I had this dream since seventh grade and have been living it since. The last fifteen years,  I have  performed, trained and swam with Killer Whales, Beluga Whales, Pacific White-sided dolphins, California Sea Lions, Pacific Walruses and otters. Unlike many people, I have been blessed to be able to accomplish what I yearned to do as a young child.

Over the last several years, as a mid-life adult, a new passion of mine has emerged Triathlon Coaching and Fitness. Contributing to this vision has been my success as a 4x Ironman Triathlete and a veteran marathoner and various triathlons coupled with my fascination with the human body and human mind.  In 2001, I achieved USA Triathlon Level I Coaching certification.  Since receiving my certification, I have trained and worked with numerous athletes ranging from seven to forty-five years old in the strenuous arena of sprint triathlons extending to Ironman Triathlons.  After I grew confident in my coaching ability, the emergence of my own company, TriBalance Coaching was established.  Information is available at www.tribalancecoaching.com.

Motivation for re-thinking my life came in the last six months of 2008 with the death of my father at only sixty-two years of age and two miscarriages.  In the crisis I relied on three important resources:  1) a renewed interest in religion and the power of prayer 2) support from my family and friends, and 3) self-help in the form of physical activity, whether it was running, CrossFit, yoga, dance classes, cycling, Pilates and swimming.

My undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater was in Biology with a minor in Psychology; however a lot of the Biology classes pertained to Animal Biology, which, at the time was what I needed for my job with the marine mammals.  However the last couple of years, I have taken continuing education credits for my coaching certification.  While I have enjoyed those clinics and have learned a lot, sometimes I have thought that I have not had the Kinesiology/Biomechanics background that successful coaches have had.    Now it is time for me to move on from a focus of marine mammals to another critical area, namely, that of the human body and mind. 

I am looking to make a difference in the lives of people in San Antonio. In my fifteen year career as a Marine Mammal Trainer, I have always been able to make a difference in the lives of children.  After a show, often children will come up to me, get a photo and tell me they want to be a trainer or work with Shamu or work with marine mammals.  I will even have adults come up to me, saying that they have always wanted to do what I was doing and they will say “Thank You” for making it possible.  I want to continue that tradition that has been a part of my life.  I want to make a difference in someone’s life and impact a life, whether it is a child or an adult, through my second career as a San Antonio Community Fitness Ambassador.  San Antonio is considered the third fattest city of the US, according to the 2009 Men’s Fitness magazine.   I want to change that. I want to help adults and kids…whether it is though my coaching as a triathlon coach, a personal trainer, a CrossFit Coach or a run coach. I want to teach adults and kids that to maintain the mind sharp, you need to maintain the body.  I want to show kids and adults the confidence that you can receive through physical activity

Upon completing my Master of Science degree at University of Texas-San Antonio, I hope to receive the knowledge to become a San Antonio Community Fitness Ambassador.  I want to impact an adult or a child’s lives.  I want to know that I made a difference in someone’s life…not only my job as a marine mammal trainer but also as an athlete, a coach and a human being.

In sum, as I prepare myself for a new career, I bear in mind a statement from a powerful motivator, Tony Robbins, “There is a powerful driving force inside every human being that once, unleashed, can make any vision, dream or desire a reality.”  I have a vision to help people through my knowledge of Kinesiology. I have a dream that we will be out of the top 10 fattest city in the US and I have the desire and passion to do it!