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“Keeping it Teel”  

An Aspiring Athlete’s Authentic Assent

As a young girl growing up in Glendale near the Rose Bowl – a Mecca for college, Olympic and professional athletics – life was never really about sports. After a brief AYSO soccer stint, it was soon off to an all-girls private school, Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy and a life of dance and cheerleader-hood.

“I was always kinda girly,” sez Julie, who now balances three boys – a husband and two young sons with M4L workouts, a flourishing financial management career as a Santa Barbara Bank & Trust Vice President, plus serving non-profit organizations, like Junior League of Santa Barbara.

After Flintridge and with thoughts of becoming a lawyer, it was off to UCSB. In her junior year, she finally declared her major and shifted to business economics, with accounting flavor – with new California Dreamin’ of being an accountant like both grandfathers. But it was one incredible semester in art-laden Florence, Italy that would later shape her future, beautiful life’s canvas….

Upon her 1995 graduation, Julie’s corporate career quickly took off as an auditor for Coopers & Lybrand in The Bay Area. A call four years later from Rob Teel, already a successful I.T. Consultant and whom she had met on her very first day in Florence - they dated and toured Europe as carefree college students - surprised her. His business trip to SF led to his move West. You know what happened next….

With a romance that began years ago and worlds away – and included a stint living in London for two years while engaged- Julie and Rob married in 2001 and started a life back in SF. Her pregnancy two years later meant it was time to look for a better place to start a family,

There was only one Teel choice: Santa Barbara.

Plus, her brother and his family lived here – it all added up. In fact, her sister-in-law, Josie DeVine, knew M4L Founder Dawn Schroeder and, along with friend Rebecca Carroll – they encouraged Julie to join M4L after she settled in town.

“No way! I thought. I hated running, didn’t know how to swim and didn’t have a bike,” she sez. “They wore me down and I glad they did. It’s eye-opening.” This is Julie’s third M4L season.

And it’s, perhaps, ironic that in addition to introducing a new, exciting sports world to her, it’s helped her savor another slice of life with her sons and being a better Mom -- doing action things like grabbing all their wetsuits and taking them to the beach with friends. “I’m not very hi-maintenance but for someone who never swam in the ocean before joining M4L – it’s all pretty incredible!” Julie sez.

For this former “girly-girl” who claims to look at life more from a guy’s easy-going perspective and who has extensive financial expertise, M4L is paying unexpected dividends. Plus, there many other benefits, as well…“I love the social part -- going out for coffee or breakfast after practice and catching up with my friends and other M4L colleagues is the best!” she adds.

Girly-girl or not, Julie Teel has come a long way. Wife. Mom. Business executive. Tri-Athlete. And about her life now, you could say, “It’s all coming up Roses”…

- Randy Weiss, August 2009

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