The People
Kim Taffer, Founder
Kim Taffer's lifelong interest in sports turned into a passion when she laced up for her first marathon - the Chicago Marathon - in 1996. A few years later she added cycling and swimming to the training schedule. In her first year as a triathlete, Kim completed Olympic and half Ironman distance races.
As a consultant for a top firm and a business school student with limited leisure opportunities, Kim made the most of her free time by planning active vacations. In the last decade, she has summited Mt. Kilimanjaro, hiked through Glacier National Park, mountain biked along the Colorado trail, rafted the Zambezi River in Zimbabwe, skied at many of the country's top resorts and kayaked off the coasts of Hawaii and Ireland.
Through her experiences, Kim realized that few companies existed to meet the needs of the athletic traveler. And that no one balanced rigorous endurance training with R&R in luxury destinations. So in 2003 she packed up her day job with a new finish line in sight. Kim merged her passion for sports and travel with her business acumen to found Breakaway Performance, an organization as committed to expert training as it is to great destinations.
Kim spends her leisure time enjoying her favorite Bay Area activities: Hiking through the Marin Headlands with her Australian Shepherd puppy, Rufus; running along the Marin trails; biking through the California Wine Country; and skiing in the Sierras. These days often find her working up a sweat in preparation of her first ultra-marathon. Kim is a graduate of Cornell University and has an MBA from University of Michigan.
Mindy Solkin, Head Coach
Mindy Solkin is the Head Coach for Breakaway. She is certified by USA Track & Field (USATF) as a Level III Running Coach (the highest level) and by the American Council on Exercise (ACE) as a personal trainer.
Known as "Coach Mindy" to her runners, she is the owner of The Running Center in New York (TheRunningCenter.com), where she has coached thousands of people over the past ten years, helping them to achieve their goals on the open roads and the winding trail, whether it is running their first mile or pursuing their personal best in the marathon.
As a contributing writer and spokesperson on running and fitness, her articles and quotes appeared in national publications. She is a frequent lecturer, presenting running clinics to runners, fitness centers and corporations and is the running advisor to many Internet websites. Mindy has also appeared on the television shows Today In New York, Good Day New York, and Good Morning America.
Mindy was the creator of the Leukemia-Lymphoma Society's Team In Training marathon program in New York City and served as its Head Coach from 1994 through 2001. During her tenure, she coached and wrote training programs for over 50 teams, which included training over 3,000 runners. Her seven years of service to Team In Training ultimately led to raising over $8 million dollars for the Leukemia-Lymphoma Society. She has left a legacy that knows no equal.
In 2001, Mindy received the 2001 American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) "Community Service Award" for her service to runners and sports medicine professionals in New York City. She is also the creator of the Polar Heart Bra® and has been a PowerBar® Team Elite athlete since 1994. Mindy also developed the running program at Reebok Sports Club/NY, and was the Head Coach from 1995 to 2002. From 1994 through 2000 she served as a clinical advisory board member for the American Running Association.
Mindy has been a runner for over 20 years, competing in over 100 races from distances of one mile to the marathon, and is a frequent age-group award winner. Her passion for the sport of running and her compassion for her runners are exemplified in all aspects of what she brings to Breakaway Performance. Mindy's philosophy is, "There is no better measure of competition than that which is against thyself."