Adrienne and Matt Amman – TriWisconsin Article 2007
Adrienne and I have been a part of TriWisconsin since we moved here from Madison in July of 2005. We have been competitive athletes for most of our lives. I started swimming at eight and Adrienne at age ten. As I got older I branched out into soccer becoming a competitive player for the Madison 56ers.
Adrienne on the other hand, found out that she was a natural swimmer and quickly climbed the ranks of United States Swimming (USS) and become a top five swimmer in the state for her age group. Blessed with an earlier growth spurt, her 5’5” build at age twelve gave her a competitive edge. By thirteen she managed to put up an impressive 56.8 in the 100yd freestyle. However, the grueling hours of practice took a significant blow on her body and her performance plateau’ed. In time, she simply burned out.
It took her a number of years before she was able to even get into the water and swim again. With time, she overcame her demons and joined the Triathlon Club at UW-Madison when she was an undergraduate.
As for me, I had fun becoming a multi-sport athlete (not in the triathlete sense) playing soccer, tennis, and swimming. Though I would have liked to swim in college, I wasn’t fastest enough for Division 1. Instead, I joined the water polo team at UW-Madison. It was a wonderful opportunity to play another sport related to swimming. Meanwhile, I coached swimming at the recreational and high school level. Once in chiropractic school, I started playing soccer again where I unfortunately suffered a significant ankle injury that ended all athletic endeavors for the next two years.
In the meantime, I managed to connect with a very special girl—Adrienne—that I knew from high school. Our common interest in swimming and sports sparked many discussions while we both worked as lifeguards. A few years later Adrienne and I decided to get married.
While I started my chiropractic career, Adrienne finished up graduate school and continued to run while I sat on the couch. Frustrated by my temporary health challenge I started start running although it hurt like hell. Three years after the injury, we celebrated my limited recovery by doing the Whistlestop Half Marathon in Ashland, Wisconsin. It hurt, but we finished in a respectable 1:36.
Over the next couple of years, Adrienne continued to run for fun like usual, but as my ankle continued to feel better I decided to become competitive. With Madison being the backdrop for another Ironman event, it wasn’t hard for us to go watch the inspiring event. After a while, I decided to buy a bike and get into triathlons.
But as life would have it, we decided to switch gears and move to Milwaukee. 2005 was a year of transition for us. I sold my practice in Madison and joined a group practice in Oak Creek; sold our existing house; and re-located to a quaint house in Wauwatosa. In an effort to get to know like-minded individuals in Milwaukee we decided to join the triathlon club and in the process learned a lot about training and made a lot of new friends.
Dr. Matt
