Jason Jablonski, Professional Athlete, Coach
A nationally and regionally recognized professional mountain biker with a host of state, regional and national titles to his name, Jablonski set his sights on the sport of triathlon in 2005. In April of that year, Jablonski threw his hat in the ring at the XTERRA West off-road triathlon championship in Temecula, California and crossed the finish line second amateur and 14th overall. After such an impressive showing in his debut performance, Jablonski joined the regional XTERRA circuit collecting points that eventually led him to the top in his age group both regionally and nationally.
After logging four first-place overall finishes in his first season in the sport, Jablonski was off to compete at XTERRA nationals in Tahoe, California in late September. He crossed the finish line 22nd overall and was the third amateur finisher. From Tahoe, Jablonski headed to Maui to compete in the XTERRA World Championship where he boasted a first-place overall finish as an impressive culmination to his first-year efforts. Jablonski became the reigning 2005 XTERRA Amateur World Champion.
Jablonski competed as a professional off-road triathlete with a goal of finishing strongly in the top 10 athletes at some of the World’s largest off-road triathlons and multisport events during the 2006 and 2007 season.
In 2007 Jablonski took his talents to the ski trails as the head coach of the Leavenworth Winter Sports Club. This proved to be another opportunity to apply his technical expertise and coaching background to a club with a history of producing world-class athletes, including former Olympians.
Jablonski retired from racing in the pro ranks at the end of 2007 to focus more attention on his growing coaching business as well as forging a partnership with Black Diamond Sports Therapy. This partnership is providing North Central Washington with a tremendous resource to help athletes improve their athletic performance. Jablonski still enjoys competing at the age group level and looks to accomplish some lofty goals as a Masters athlete.
Aside from racing, Jablonski is the owner of SET Coaching where he works with athletes to provide sport-specific coaching and biomechanical expertise. Through this, he is able to match his experience, knowledge and talent with the goals of each unique client to create an environment where his clients have been able to achieve results beyond their expectations. He is a certified USA Level II Cycling Coach and maintains a strong commitment to remaining on the cutting-edge of his field. He is a Retul, FIST, and Bike Fit Certified Fitter, and because of this commitment, he works with the Retul, Dartfish, and other sport-specific fitting and analysis systems to ensure athletes are training and competing at optimum levels. SET Coaching’s partnership with Black Diamond Sports Therapy brings a background of knowledge to the table that is second-to-none. The partnership between SET Coaching and Black Diamond Sports Therapy means athletes have a tremendous resource to help them achieve their personal best.
Jablonski was selected to serve on the prestigious Gold’s Gym Fitness Institute in 2004 and 2005. Gold’s Gym holds a commitment to offering the best knowledge and expertise from across its global network of 600 gyms in 43 states and 26 countries to create the world’s leading think tank on health and fitness issues. Jablonski was selected from a pool of fitness experts to serve as the Youth Fitness authority where he joined a team of nine other panelists to represent the Fitness Institute on a national and international level.
Jablonski has been featured in a number of local, regional and national publications. He also offers a variety of cycling clinics, is an indoor cycling instructor, and speaks regularly to local and regional schools and community groups. As an advocate for cycling, running and swimming, he founded and championed the Gold’s Gym/Wenatchee Valley Junior Velo cycling program. Jablonski holds a degree in elementary education with minors in biology and teaching English as a second language.
Shawn Ongers, cat. 1 racer, Coach
With the goal in mind to simply not “get dropped,” 200-pound Shawn Ongers began his racing career. With determination and a newly-discovered passion, Shawn began to lose weight quickly as he climbed the cycling ranks, eventually competing in NRC races and serving as a guest rider for Priority Heath Pro Cycling.
Over 10 years later Shawn is as strong as ever, still loves riding his bike, and continues to be a Category 1 racer, with several wins and top 10 finishes under his belt. While racing is a strong passion, it’s not his full-time job. Being a father and husband is his top priority and he also works as a professional firefighter.
Shawn is eager to share his passion for bicycle racing with others. Shawn began to mentor and advise cyclists new to the sport, and has been able to share the lessons he learned on his own. His efforts, research, time, and commitment combined with the enthusiasm of the beginning cycles provided significant opportunity for success. Through this, Shawn discovered another passion: coaching.
Shawn joined SET Coaching in 2011 and continues to help athletes succeed. By combining his experience and practical knowledge with the enthusiasm of his athletes, Shawn is able to develop and nurture athletes that are able to achieve amazing results.
Stephanie Cosina, Coach and Athlete
After the birth of her second child, Stephanie began her competitive running career in 2005 and has since made a name for herself as an endurance running specialist. With over a dozen half marathons, an impressive resume of completed endurance trail runs, and nearly 10 marathons- including the 2012 Boston Marathon- under her belt, Stephanie has parlayed her passion for distance running into a coaching career.
Stephanie’s background is in education, with a degree in Elementary Education and an endorsement in Special Education from Central Washington University. This experience has equipped her with the tools and techniques necessary to challenge her athletes to reach the depths of their ability. To this education, Stephanie has added a certification from the Road Runners Club of America, and has attended seminars to broaden her coaching talent.
Her philosophy is simple: Runners are individuals with different strengths, weaknesses, experiences, goals, levels of commitment, and life restraints. Therefore, it’s critical to develop realistic programs and tools to help each athlete achieve consistent improvement and ultimately meet and exceed their goals.
Stephanie joined the SET Coaching team in early 2012 and brings a unique perspective to the coaching staff. As a mother and wife with athletic goals of her own, she understands the time, life, and professional demands her athletes face. With her experience, background, and passion, Stephanie has made a name for herself as an endurance running specialist.
Sarah Barkley, Coach and Athlete
With a solid career in competitive track and field under her race belt, Sarah turned her attention to triathlon and quickly gained a reputation as a fierce competitor on the national and world stage.
Sarah earned her early athletic stripes running on scholarship at the University of Montana. A sprint and hurdle specialist, she podiumed at the Big Sky Conference Championship each year, setting a school record as part of a distance medley relay. After college, she channeled the same focus and commitment that brought her college success to the sport of triathlon.
As a triathlete, Sarah has achieved USAT All-American status for the past two years, received the coveted Best Overall Female Triathlete designation from TriNW in 2011, and took top honors as the Overall Olympic Distance Champion in 2010 and 2008.
In 2009 and 2011 Sarah represented Team USA at the ITU Age Group Olympic World Championships, placing as the third American in her age group, and in 2012 qualified and raced at the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Las Vegas.
She got her first taste of coaching as a Track and Field Coach at Wenatchee High School, and like her athletic career, turned her coaching focus to triathlon. Sarah is a USA Triathlon Level 1 Coach, and an American Council on Exercise Certified Personal Trainer. When asked to join the SET Coaching team, Sarah jumped at the opportunity to share the physical and mental training techniques learned during an impressive racing career with clients.
Sarah shares her talent and experience with aspiring and accomplished runners, triathletes, and cyclists, to help them achieve results greater than previously imagined. Her coaching philosophy is a mixture of equal parts increased athletic performance, maintaining healthy life balance, and injury prevention.
Sarah tracks her training and racing efforts in a fantastic blog called “Rode To Happiness.” Click here to follow her story.
