Following obtaining her undergraduate degree in journalism, Therese Iknoian spent a decade as a newspaper reporter before launching a free-lance career specializing in sports and fitness writing and instruction and earning her master’s degree in exercise physiology. She has been a nationally ranked race walker, and is an internationally published free-lance health & fitness writer whose work has appeared in Men's Health, Fitness, Backpacker, Shape, Women’s Day, Walking, and Parenting, among others. She was a contributing editor for the now defunct Walking magazine and has written a syndicated fitness/sports newspaper column.

As a hard news reporter, she spent her last six years in newspaper at the San Jose Mercury News, where she won several awards for education coverage and was a member of the 1990 Pulitzer Prize-winning news team that covered the Loma Prieta Earthquake.

Her latest book is "Mind-Body Fitness For Dummies” (IDG Press, November 2000). She also has written "Walking Fast," "Fitness Walking (Human Kinetics, 1998 and 1995, respectively). She was a contributing expert-author to "Precision Heart Rate Monitoring" (Human Kinetics, 1998), and was also a contributor to the 1996 release "Men's Fitness Magazine's Complete Guide to Health and Well-Being (HarperCollins). She designed two walking/running music and instructional audiotapes, "Walk Your Way to Fitness,” and "Maximum Treadmill Workout” (Dynamix, 1998 and 2000).

Aside from magazine and book writing, she is president of her own information and advice web site, Total Fitness Network – www.totalfitnessnetwork.com – a 1999 and 2000 Golden Web Award winner. She is a partner in the sports information web site GearTrends.com – www.GearTrends.com, works with her husband, Michael Hodgson, on his site, AdventureNetwork.com, and has had consulting stints as an associate editor/fitness expert at online sports retailer, Fogdog Sports.com, and as a senior editor at fitness training site, GetFit.com.

But Therese doesn't only write about fitness and sports. She uses her exercise physiology and coaching training to work as a master instructor and program developer who has taught and lectured at corporations, health clubs, and professional conferences around the world. She is the co-developer and manual author of Star Trac's treadmill running/walking program, Trekking, and has developed programs or consulted for the likes of Nike, adidas, Polar, and Power Bar.

And she practices what she preaches. As a race walker, she was ranked 24th in the United States in 1994 and has been a national masters champion. She broke the world record for the indoor 3K event for her age group in 1994, and she still holds the outdoor 3K record for that age group. She now cross-country and road runs -- placing frequently in her age group -- mountain bikes, paddles, and climbs, and has participated in adventure races. She qualified for Boston 2001 when she ran her first marathon in early 2000.

Therese is certified as a Health/Fitness Instructor by the American College of Sports Medicine and gold-certified by the American Council on Exercise. She is also USA Track & Field-certified coach and official who has coached national- and world-class youth and junior athletes.

Contact Therese directly via email at: therese@snewsnet.com