Some people skim their toes along the surface of the pool while others dive right in. Mollie Berliss prefers to cannonball in off the 10-meter platform. So she has not caused quite a splash since joining Front Runners at the beginning of this year.
Newly named women's vice president, Berliss has big plans for the rest of the year -- for the club, for her own running and beyond. As is so often the case, Berliss hooked up with the running club after meeting someone -- Lindsay Rubel -- who was already a member and who sang Front Runners praises.
Looking to both become more involved in the LGBT community in New York and improve her own running, Berliss clicked with the club instantly. She volunteered at the club's water station at last fall's NYC Marathon and has been a veritable Front Runner Zelig ever since -- popping up at six New York Road Runners races, the FRNY Awards Night, club council meetings, Tuesday night speed training sessions, and even marching with the club at the Pride Parade.
"When I first started coming, everyone was so friendly and welcoming," Berliss says. "It was nice to find my niche here."
Niche might be a tad modest. The 26-year-old deputy director of Covenant House landed the women's VP spot after just a few months as a club member, after Emily Siegel had to resign mid-term for personal reasons. But even before ascending the Front Runner ranks, Berliss had stamped out a name for herself.
Eager to increase the membership of the women's team, she stickered flyers around college campuses and lesbian bars. "I like starting new projects," says Berliss, "and getting people involved."
In late March, Berliss continued to do just that, competing in the Millrose Easy Does It 10K relay with Theresa Ocol, Katrina Amaro, and Jenna McAuley to place 3rd amongst women's teams and win $100 for the club.
During Pride weekend, Berliss helped further pad the club's coffers by corralling a dozen female members to volunteer at Rapture on the River. The FRNY women served drinks at the lesbian Pier Dance and received a $1,000 grant for their hard work.
In July, another of Berliss's projects -- to host monthly "First Friday" happy ours for the club -- came to fruition as more than 30 Front Runners descended on Barrage for a night of drunken debauchery and misadventure (at least we hope it was, for some lucky members.)
So what else does Berliss have in store for FRNY?
"My main focus as vice president is recruitment," she says. "Getting more women involved is important because it is hard for gay women to meet in New York City."
Berliss appreciates the fact that Front Runners provides an unpretentious and warm community for its members and wants to build on that while also tapping into the competitive aspects of the club.
"This is especially important for women," she adds, "who are somewhat discouraged from being competitive the way men are."
Understanding that runners often find these two goals contradictory, Berliss knows one of her challenges will be to rally women runners around both efforts.
So far she's off to a blistering start. Berliss has helped encourage a squadron of new female runners to participate in the club's speed workouts, and the traditionally male crowd has embraced the new gender diversity. It just so happens that creating more ties between the men and women of Front Runners was another of Berliss's goals this year.
Of course, Berliss is not entirely selfless. Like all runners, she has a competitive streak and desires to drop her own times and compete at new and longer distances. Among her many upcoming goals are running under 7:00 minute mile pace in distances up to 10K, completing her first triathlon and gearing up to complete her first marathon in 2007.
Seem like a lot? Toe dippers should move out of the way; Berliss is about to jump into the pool.
Random Data:
Born: New Jersey
Other Physical Activities: Softball, swimming, and pilates
Pastimes: Playing violin, reading
Favorite Music: Celine Dion, Def Leppard, Ellipsis, and Lucy Kaplansky
Some people skim their toes along the surface of the pool while others dive right in. Mollie Berliss prefers to cannonball in off the 10-meter platform. So she has not caused quite a splash since joining Front Runners at the beginning of this year.