Meet the Team
Abed
1. Name: Abed Alnaif
2. Year and Major: Graduate student, Biomedical Engineering
3. Favorite hobbies: I like playing sports, doing physical activities, doing outdoor
activities, and reading
activities, and reading
4. If your life was a movie or a book what would the title be: Abed of fire
5. Favorite Superhero or cartoon: Asterix, Road Runner, Bugs Bunny, Tom & Jerry
6. Chocolate or vanilla? chocolate cake, vanilla ice cream
7. Awkward moment: Whenever I try to do a flip turn too far away from the wall, so that I
can’t touch the wall with my feet (basically every time I try to do a
flip turn)
can’t touch the wall with my feet (basically every time I try to do a
flip turn)
8. What’s your spirit animal: Arnold Schwarzenegger
9. Proudest achievement so far: Graduating from undergrad
10. Why I Tri: Motivation, variety
Michelle
1. Name: Michelle
2. Nickname: Michelle/Chan
3. Year and Major: 3rd year Nursing PhD Student
4. Favorite hobbies: Hiking, going to Disneyland, Halloween, year-round Halloween dress up, Pokémon everything, arts and crafts, playing with my doggie Charley, thinking about taking up yoga, reading, gardening, and vacationing.
5. If your life was a movie or a book what would the title be: The Never-ending Search for Mashed Potatoes
6. Favorite Superhero or cartoon: SpongeBob
7. Chocolate or vanilla? : Vanilla with red bean (from Strickland’s)
8. Awkward moment: That one time when I accidentally “flat-tired” someone’s entire leg. I am so sorry.
9. What’s your spirit animal: Snorlax
10. Proudest achievement so far: Finishing the Tinkerbell Half-marathon in 2015
11. Why I Tri: My Uncle Kenny is the reason why I TRI! Even though we are 500 miles apart, we are motivating each other and will race together in 2016.
ERIC
1. Name: Eric
2. Nickname: ET
3. Year and Major:4th year English major
4. Favorite hobbies: Hiking, meditation, yoga, swimming, writing
5. If your life was a movie or a book what would the title be: The Dark Knight
6. Favorite Superhero or cartoon: The Batman
7. Chocolate or vanilla? :Pistachio-flavored gelato
8. Awkward moment: regularly thinking I recognize people when I don’t actually know them
9. What’s your spirit animal:I believe my spirit animal is an eagle
10. Proudest achievement so far:receiving an education from UC Irvine
11. Why I Tri: I tri because I want to be the best version of myself that I can be, and that means pushing my body to the limit
Natalie
1. Name: Natalie
2. Nickname: Nat
3. Year and Major: Senior/4thyear, Film and Media Studies
4. Favorite hobbies: Snowboarding, gaming and binge watching Netflix
5. If your life was a movie or a book what would the title be: Help Wanted…Scratch That. Help Needed.
6. Favorite Superhero or cartoon: Scooby Doo
7. Chocolate or vanilla?: I sorta kinda like vanilla? I’m not a huge fan of dessert.
8. Awkward moment: Tripping underwater
9. What’s your spirit animal: My dog Niko. All she does is eat, sleep, and give sass.
10. Proudest achievement so far: Waking up for 7am practices
11. Why I Tri: To prove Scoliosis can’t stop me
Danny
1. Name: Danny Aguilar
2. Nickname: Just Danny would do!
3. Year and Major: Senior double in Public Health Policy & Business Economics
4. Favorite hobbies: Triathlon (swimming, cycling, and running), soccer, outdoor activities. There’s also eating and sleeping! LOL
5. If your life was a movie or a book what would the title be: “The Adventurer” just cuz I like trying new things.
6. Favorite Superhero or cartoon: My favorite superhero is Batman because he never gives up & is always seeking to get better! I also like Nightwing.
7. Chocolate or vanilla?: Vanilla!
8. Awkward moment: When people wave at me and I wave back, but they’re waving at the person behind me.
9. What’s your spirit animal: I took a test to see this and apparently it’s a Bear. I don’t know how accurate this is.
10. Proudest achievement so far: Going to UCI and about to graduate! Also finishing my first olympic triathlon.
11. Why I Tri: I Tri to challenge myself and become better. Also because I want to test my limits. 
Masha
- Name: Maria
- Nickname: Masha
- Year and Major:3rd year PhD student in Learning, Cognition & Development
- Favorite hobbies: Biking, strength training, and playing with my super adorable Maltese, Jimmie!
- Chocolate or vanilla? Chocolate. I don’t trust people who say vanilla.
- Awkward moment: When I forget someone’s name, which is quite often, sadly! 😮
- What’s your spirit animal: I had to google it. Apparently I’m a brown bear. (Wrong school?)
- What is your proudest achievement so far:Finishing my first Ironman 70.3!! There’s no feeling like crossing that finish line…
- Why I Tri: Because it’s super awesome and epic!! I was totally the porker chubby kid in school who would do anything to get out of running laps. Physical activity? No thanks. I’ll read a book, knit, and hang out with my cat. But once I got started and got over being worried about other people being faster than me, I started to love it! I’m still slow, but hey — I tri. 😉
Alex
- Name:Alex
- Nickname: Just call me Alex lol
- Year and Major: Senior Public Health Policy
- Favorite hobbies:Of course there is swimming, cycling, and running, then there is also eating… and sleep…
- Favorite Superhero or cartoon: My favorite superhero has to be iron man, so much tech!
- Chocolate or vanilla? Vanilla!
- Awkward moment: I was walking towards a presumed friend and didn’t know it wasn’t him until after I went in for the bro hug, smh.
- What’s your spirit animal: It turns out, Horse and I have the Power toCommunicate telepathically with animals!
- Proudest achievement so far: definitely getting accepted to Journey of Hope, I’ll be cycling approximately 4,000 miles to gather funds and spread awareness for people with disabilities! XD
- Why I Tri: I TRI because I can! And there is no one in this universe who will ever tell me otherwise. And for as long as I can, I’ll always be out there doing what I do! 🙂