Staff Spotlight - Shaun
A brief summary of your athletic journey leading up to working at SJnJ?
I’m the youngest of my siblings and they all ran or did sports. I started running Track and XC in High School after my oldest brother (who was the head Track coach at that time) told me to stop wasting my time with Football (I was getting banged up too much). I had a brief but successful High School running career that extended to the first year of college. After that, I took a long time off to focus other things. I mostly started shopping at SJnJ around 2009 when I started to take up running again in my early 30s after that really long hiatus. My Father and a good friend of mine passed during that time and I made it my prime objective to become the healthiest I could be. Shortly after I got involved in club running, road racing, and race timing. I won the Seattle Marathon in 2014, set the (still standing) course record for Tacoma City Marathon in 2015, stood on the masters podium at Boston Marathon with an Olympian in 2018, and won the Seattle Rock n Roll Marathon in 2019. During that time I would volunteer or work packet pick ups at the SJnJ and got to know the staff pretty well.
When did you begin working at SJnJ and what motivated you to want to work at SJnJ?
I worked at a specialty running store in Issaquah called Plateau Runner. It sadly closed soon after the pandemic and I began working at SJnJ soon after. I knew a lot of the staff at SJnJ so it was an easy transition. I’ve always admired and appreciated the staff and their dedication to finding people the best footwear and running accessories.
What do you love about your job and what is the most challenging part?
I love helping people find the right shoes that will inspire them to stay healthy and run longer (especially beginners who appreciate the insight from a veteran runner). I also enjoy assisting people who need something stable to help them get around and heal after an injury diagnosis. We become unlicensed PTs and podiatrists here at the Jock. The most challenging aspect is probably finding parking around Green Lake on sunny weekends.
Which shoes are you most enjoying running in currently?
I run in a variety of styles in both road and trail but mostly the ASICS Novablast and Superblast on roads. I race in the Nike Alphafly 3. I like Hoka trail models for off road action.
Rumor has it that you are lead singer in a band, is that true?
Yes. I try to sing, haha. I am the primary producer, vocalist, songwriter, and instrumentalist for my mostly electronic project called Glis (which means “big shiny smile” in Norwegian). I’ve been lucky to have played around the world with it and still going 25 years later. I’ve also produced other artists. One female fronted act from Canada called Ayria. I’ve also played live percussion and keyboards in other bands in my genre of music.
What genre of music does your band play?
Genres I have explored would be Synthpop, Industrial, and Post-Punk. I do mostly electronic based using synthesizers and drum machines, but I’ve also used acoustic and electric guitars in the past and I’ve been currently working them back into the mix again.
Where can people listen to your music?
My music is available on all digital platforms like Bandcamp, Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, etc. I play live once or twice a year in the Seattle area.
How do you like to spend your time outside of work?
Spending time with my wife and kids. I have 10 and 12 year old sons. We enjoy traveling and hiking together. Music and running are my other main hobbies. My boys seem to enjoy the same things as they love both sports and music.
Do you have a Favorite Quote?
I think Yoda has all the good ones like:
"The greatest teacher, failure is" or “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken" by Oscar Wilde.