Carmella was always athletic, excelling in volleyball, tennis, swimming, powerlifting, and squash, but always loathed running. Despite the U.S. Navy’s attempts to convert her, Carmella never enjoyed running, nor ran well.
After moving to Arizona, a friend lent Carmella a copy of Dean Karnazes’ book Ultramarathon Man, and Carmella became a convert. On her third day of taking up running (yet again!), something clicked, and she started signing up for half marathons.
Carmella met Coach Jimmy during her second season of Team Challenge, the half marathon training program to raise money for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America. Enlisting Jimmy’s coaching services, the intrigue of the ultramarathon quickly evidenced itself as the test of discipline, strength, and mental fortitude for which Carmella had been searching, but never found in other sports. Jimmy’s coaching took her from a 13:44/mile half marathon to a 10:08/mile marathon in six months, and to a 2nd place women’s finish in her first ultra—the Coyote Springs 50K—two months later. Carmella’s love affair with ultrarunning and the ultra community had begun, and shortly following the Coyote Springs event, Jimmy and Carmella’s professional partnership began, and bore Elemental Running and Training.
Carmella is a Schwinn Indoor Cycle Certified Instructor and licensed private pilot. In addition to assisting Jimmy in race direction and operations, Carmella serves as Business Manager for Elemental Running and Training. She is also a United States of America Track and Field (USATF) Level 1 Certified Coach.
Carmella has paced and crewed at numerous 100-mile races and is a two-time crew veteran for the Badwater 135 Ultramarathon. She is running her first 100-miler this fall.
