CHRISTINE MASSEY

Hometown:  Houston, TX
Current:  Tucson, AZ

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Christine Massey is a professional triathlete, splitting her time between Tucson, Arizona and Longmont, Colorado.  After breaking both of her ankles in horse accidents less than 1 year apart in 2016, she was inspired to stop taking her body for granted and signed up for fitness classes at Orangetheory Fitness to “get fit.”  She enjoyed the treadmill component of OTF and took up running in 2016, quickly realizing that endurance sports could fill that need for challenge and the ability to push the limits she was looking for.   She signed up for a local 5k that summer and much to her surprise, won her age group of more than 50 runners.   That sparked a desire for more and a realization that running was actually something she really enjoyed doing and wanted to continue to work on.  After completing several 5Ks, 10Ks, and half marathons, it was time to see what else she could add in the mix.  While on route to a vacation in Grand Cayman in 2017,  upon surfing the internet to see what was happening on the island, she discovered that it just so happened the Flowers Sea Swim would take place that same weekend, and signed up on a whim.   She swam her first open water 1 mile race after not having been in the pool since swimming competitively in high school, but it sparked such fond memories that the next logical step had to be triathlon.  Christine found a free a local triathlon program for beginners (“Give it a Tri” at TriZone in Southern California), bought a tri bike off of Craiglist, rented a wetsuit, and was off to the races!  Christine placed 5th overall and qualified for Age Group Nationals in her first triathlon in September 2017 – the Long Beach Sprint Triathlon in Long Beach, CA.  It was love at first tri, and the rest is history.

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The more Christine learned about fitness and how the body works, she became very intrigued by what a huge role nutrition has not only in fitness but in our society and world.  Christine decided to pursue studies in nutrition and has completed a certification from the International Sports Sciences Association as a Specialist in Fitness Nutrition, and also from E-Cornell in Plant-Based Nutrition.   Christine is a plant-powered athlete and is extremely passionate about nutrition and holistic wellness.

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At the end of 2020, Christine decided to leave her music career and dedicate herself full time to triathlon and coaching, taking the leap to professional racing in 2024.  Until 2021, she had a highly successful career as a professional freelance oboist and English hornist in Southern California, playing with several top-tier orchestras such as the LA Philharmonic, Pacific Symphony, San Diego Symphony, Pasadena Symphony, and Santa Barbara Symphony,  and for operas, musicals,  staged shows, TV & film, as well as teaching private lessons and at the collegiate level. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, baking vegan treats, and hiking.