Catching up with Katie Follett...

At last week's Seattle Sports Star of the Year Awards show at Benaroya Hall, paulmerca.blogspot.com had an opportunity to catch up with University of Washington graduate Katie Follett (left/photo courtesy Seattle Sports Commission/Don DeLong, Red Box Pictures), who is starting her first full season as a pro running under the banner of Bothell-based Brooks Sports.

Follett talks about making the transition from collegiate running to the pro level, the opportunity to compete post-collegiately for Brooks, her stay in Europe last summer where she got a crash course in the international way of racing, and what she hopes to do this season and beyond.

She revealed that she had a minor setback with some Achilles tendon issues on her right foot, and that she wouldn't run indoors until possibly the final meet of the year at the Dempsey (the UW Last Chance meet on March 5th).

Follett is staying in Seattle and training under UW coach Greg Metcalf, who is also training 2006 NCAA 1500-meter champion Amy Lia of Bothell. Follett will also do some volunteer coaching at the UW.

Here is the video interview I conducted on the red carpet at Benaroya Hall (note: those are my hands in the picture!)



Special thanks to the Seattle Sports Commission for their assistance.