Dulsey Stewart is a Cool Friend. Our relationship goes back to when she moved to Columbia to work for the radio group that I was managing. She's very energetic about everything she does and is one of the most positive people I know. I always look forward to hearing from her. She's a frequent guest at the Strategy Center and when she stopped by recently, I had some questions.
Tony: What's your official title and position now?
Dulsey: Development and Fundraising Coordinator for Ultramax Events
Tony: How did you get interested in doing that?
Dulsey: I used to be a runner. When I met my husband, he told me that I should do a triathlon. I thought he was crazy, but after enough training, I decided to give it a go.
My husband also volunteered for Ultramax, and I thought it was a great organization and I should help too. It was a great way to spend time with him, and be involved in a great cause and fun sport all at the same time. Mark, race director extraordinaire, approached me about starting a development office for Ultramax. No one has previously done my job full time and I would be starting from scratch. I was so excited that I probably accepted the job before it was ever officially offered to me. I really enjoy it, and there isn’t many people out there who get to combine their passion and hobby with their career. I feel pretty lucky.
Tony: What’s the best part of your job?
Dulsey: The best part of my job is being able to prove that my efforts benefit a very worthy cause. When a sponsor of our events gets involved, not only do they get the benefit of the marketing and sponsorship, but they get to help people see. They get to help a 4 year old kid in daycare learn that he has lazy eye before he has ever seen his first eye doctor. They get to give the gift of sight through a cornea transplant. It is a pretty good feeling each day.
Tony: What was the transition like from the media to what you are doing now?
Dulsey: A lot of what I do now is much the same as media as far as the basic principles. I still talk demographics, number of athletes, reach and exposure…. Stuff like that. But the main difference is the cause. Before, I was selling advertising to help a business grow. Sometimes I would cross my fingers and hope it worked. In this business, I know that people give because they want to be involved and when they get extra business out of it (which most do anyway) that is just a huge bonus. Our athletes tend to be very loyal to the sponsors, which is a great perk.
Tony: At the end of the day, what are you most proud of?
Dulsey: I don’t know if it is pride so much as just gratitude, but I am blessed with a great family who is struggling through a tough time right now and still getting up every day to face it. I have a great husband and friends who keep me strong, and I know when I leave my desk each day that I worked as hard as I can to make a difference for someone else. There are so many people who have given to me lately with no hesitation. The least I can do is work hard to give to someone else.
Tony: You told me that you just got back from Las Vegas, how did that trip go?
Dulsey: The trip was fabulous! We took 140 Columbia MO residents to compete in the Club National Championship Triathlon and we took home the GOLD. We are the Division 1 Club National Champion Triathletes-right here in our own backyard. This is the 3rd time in 4 years we have won. It was a great honor to be out there with all those green jerseys just cheering and rooting people on. The best part was watching Marilyn McCreary cross the finish line. She is in her 60’s, has had a hip replacement and did an Olympic Distance Triathon (I did the shorter distance). This was a very, very difficult race and she crossed the line with 139 other CMCers cheering her all the way in. And she smiled the whole time.
Considering the last 6 miles of the bike course was straight up hill, and I averaged 8 miles an hour, just like most people… this was one tough course.We managed to visit the Vegas strip for a few days and be real tourists after that.
Tony: What’s your BHAG? (Big Hairy Audacious Goal)
Dulsey: I have signed up for my first half iron distance triathlon May 20. Half Iron consists of a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike and 13 mile run. Yes, they are back to back. I feel like a slacker since my hubby has done a full distance Ironman, but I’m a little woman… and I think the half is just the right size. (They used to call me "Half-pint" growing up!)
Tony: When you were a kid, what did you want to do?
Dulsey: I remember standing in my great grandmothers kitchen thinking that a teacher was really the only profession that a women did. So I wanted to be a teacher. I was really young then. After a while I realized that I had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up, so I just winged it for awhile. I completely fell into marketing by accident. But I’m glad, because it has worked so far.
Tony: If someone wants to help out your projects, how can they participate?
Dulsey: There are several ways someone could help. The biggest one is by sponsoring or participating in one of our events. We are always looking to generate new athletes to this amazing and crazy sport. The next best thing is to volunteer at the events. We will never turn down good help. Lastly, I could always use someone to come do my laundry once a week. That usually is the last task I complete!