Athlete Spotlight: Cate Kehn

Publish date: March 7, 2024

This spotlight is on our Valkyrie sister Cate Kehn. The first thing you notice about her is her beautiful smile! She’s a smoking fast triathlete, wife and mother to two ADORABLE kiddos. Let’s learn more:

WHEN DID YOU JOIN VALHALLA + VALKYRIE RACE TEAM?

I joined in 2023. I have lived in the woodlands for 8 years and saw the team at events. I didn’t know anyone on the team, so I never knew how to join (the kits and bike branding have always been fire). Through work, I was introduced to Scott Darling and Clay Condon. They helped with the inside scope and I was finally able to sign up for the team! I have been building up my branded swag

but I have a long way to go.

WHEN DID YOU START TRIATHLON?

Technically, I competed in my first triathlon when I was 9. I lived in south Florida and my competitive swim team always signed up for local triathlons for cross training.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR TRIATHLON JOURNEY:

I was a competitive swimmer until college but decided a social life was important for my college experience. I have never been a person to stand still so quickly found myself exploring endurance running completing my first marathon while attending college. After graduation, I moved to Minneapolis. If you know Minnesota, you know they love triathlons almost as much as Texas. My then manager recommended trying triathlons because of my swimming and running background. I did one… and fell in love! I focused on Sprints / Olympics and competed across the state. I took a 5-year break to move and have kids. My intro back to triathlons was the CBI tri. I was nervous that I wouldn’t be able to finish but ended 2nd in my AG. There is an embarrassing / funny story associated with that race… I’ll tell you over a beer. I started dabbing with 70.3 after the sudden loss of my mom in 2019. Being a busy working wife and mom… I knew I wouldn’t find time for my grief. A few months after losing her, I signed up for Galveston 70.3 (2020) to prioritize my grief, my mental health, and my triathlon journey.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE RACE?

My forever favorite race will be Galveston Spring 2020… I mean… Galveston Fall 2020…. Oops, I mean Galveston Spring 2021! If you signed up for a race 2020, you knew the struggle with the race delays and pandemics. Trained for 3 races but only 1 metal. When I was able to finally cross that finish line, it made the race that much sweeter! My performance was better than expected and it helped me process some intense grief, so I will always be grateful for that experience! It also opened this worm hole that I’ve fallen into and love.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENT IN THIS SPORT?

The day my kids found out I was faster than Coach Diego! I crossed the finish line at Cypress ahead of Diego, and my cool factor significantly increased.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE?

Time management and prioritizing the important stuff. I tend to over schedule weekends and spread myself and my family too thin. My introverted husband is always exhausted and I am working on slowing down. Do the long bike but sacrifice a Friday outing so you can get up early Saturday and make the kid’s soccer game! I don’t need to do it all; just the stuff that really matters.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE POST RACE FOOD?

I tend to not be hungry after a race.. many times I’ll get a post race plate and my kids will eat the whole thing (bananas, and breakfast tacos are their top requests) but I will always finish the ‘free’ beer. I also love a post-race brewery hang out!

TELL US ABOUT YOUR FAMILY.

I married a pretty awesome Minnesota man that has shown up to every single race, Jeremy. He is my mechanic, my sherpa, my cheerleader, and always has a smile when I see him. My kids, Griffin and Aurora, are usually in attendance for races. They have a race bag filled with noise makers to make sure they are the loudest part of the race! I usually get compliments from other racers with how loud my cheer section tends to be

TELL US ABOUT YOUR PROFESSIONAL/PERSONAL LIFE.

I work in the Oil and Gas industry. I have an engineering degree that I have minimal touched since I graduated.

WHAT IS SOMETHING NO ONE WOULD EVER GUESS/KNOW ABOUT YOU?

1 When I was in my senior yr of college, I had 2 job opportunities that I heavily debated. Work for a large Oil and Gas company (with health care, pension, great salary, etc.) OR I could become a ski instructor. I ended up making the ‘responsible’ decision, but it was a difficult decision that I am sure my parents lost sleep over.

2 I am a fitness instructor for a cardio weightlifting class. If anyone is interested in cross training, let me know!

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT THIS TEAM?

The support and swag! The people are awesome. We are all here for a good time and do what we love. The swag is also legit.

WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE AUTHOR?

I don’t read enough to have a fav author.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE RESTAURANT?

Deacon Baldy off 1488. If you haven’t been, it’s a must! Great local beer selection, cocktails, and food trucks. My children run free, and I can have an actual conversation with my husband and friends. We go nearly every weekend so let me know, I’ll meet up!

WHO IS YOUR BIGGEST INSPIRATION?

This is a big, heavy question. It is hard to say one person has been the biggest inspiration, but I have found that I tend to surround myself with dreamers and doers. I love being challenged to think bigger, find more, and reach what was considered an unachievable goals! It may also be why I love triathletes… people look out of each other during training and race day, and genuinely want each other to finish. You don’t find those type of people in a lot of places. I have a story that validates this… I got off the bike for my first 70.3 and I did not do enough nutrition and hydration on the bike. Basically, I was toast going into the run. I was halfway through the first loop, and I saw this crazy strong woman run past me with another women encouraging / coaching her. I saw a system that was being coached at the water table: cup of water on the head, ice in the tri suit, cup of water in face and quick water in mouth. I mirrored it and followed the strong running women to the next table. At some point, the strong women encouraged me to follow the system. It saved me… I was able to cool my body and rehydrate to finish the run. The strong women left me after a few miles b/c she was simply too fast. These women were Gemma and Dawn. Women that are my coaches today, saved me during my first race. They didn’t know me or needed to say anything to me, but they did. They helped me finish the race. This is what triathletes do!

WHAT EXCITING PLANS DO YOU HAVE FOR THE NEXT YEAR?

I signed up for Galveston and lots of sprints over the summer. I am itching to do a full but prioritizing my limited time with my family (we travel a lot). I know there is a full somewhere in the future, but for now, I’ll stick with 70.3.

ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE?

Nada… I already shared a lot