Team SAFE 2011 - I was fortunate to become a Team Safe member in 2008 and am blessed to skate with wonderful teammates who are equally as passionate about skating as I am! I have been on inline skates since 1985 and made the transition to speed skates in 2005. I started seriously competing on a national level in 2007 and in 2009 tied (in points) for 1^st place in the U.S. NROC race series.

My favorite race in the past was the Long Beach Marathon, it was great to be able to get out of my own bed, put my skates on and go race with top pros on the streets I drive on daily! However, Duluth (North Shore) is now my favorite; how can you beat it, if you’ve never skated it you’re missing out on an amazing energy level unmatched by any other!

I was born and raised in Southern California and live in Long Beach where I enjoy year round skating with a great group of nationally recognized skaters! Here we don’t have an off-season and train together most Saturday mornings in an intense race style 20-mile skate. The year round training keeps me in relatively top condition and continues to allow me to catch those who might have been just a bit stronger in the past.

In the “off session” I typically skate 2-3 times a week and pick it up to 3-5 times a week during peak session! I always listen to music when I train and sometimes when I race, but it has cost me dearly in a race when I didn’t hear a breakaway because I was in my zone listening to my tunes with my head down not paying attention. My favorite skating music is usually up beat Reggae by bands such as Damian Marley, Soldiers of

Jah Army, Rebelution and Iration to name just a few! I enjoy mountain bike riding on a regular basis, typically every other Sunday, which is great cross training for skating!

In 2008 I became a Personal Trainer combining my passion for fitness with a career in helping others become healthier and happier.  I am currently developing a “Slideboard Boot Camp” combining my own training tool with a full body workout. You can find more information about my personal training business at feeltheburnfitness.com.

I am single and have a wonderful 12-year-old daughter who I’m hoping will soon take up inline skating. I have one brother and one sister and I am the youngest of the three with the most athletic talent of the bunch! My favorite movie is “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” who doesn’t love Jack! When I’m not drinking my protein shakes (typically 5-6 a day) I love Mexican food, who would have thought with Rojo as my last name! I’ve been fortunate to have been able to travel throughout the world with my favorite spot thus far being the “Red Sand Dunes” of Namibia in Southern Africa! Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to bring my skates!