When Lindsey Kriete is off the clock, she’s on the stopwatch.
For years, Kriete, vice president of human resources for Lutheran Home & Hardwood Place senior living facility in Wauwatosa, has been competing in several sports. Her list of hobbies includes running, swimming, biking, alpine skiing and — ever since she moved back to Wisconsin in 2002 — cross-country skiing.
“I suppose I just had some natural talents in the area, and turned it into quite a lifestyle for myself,” Kriete said, laughing.
Though she grew up in Wisconsin, Kriete moved to Vermont for college and lived there for years before moving back to the Dairy State. She was a runner in college and had a background in competitive sports. Once she got started on her career in human resources, she wanted to maintain an athletic outlet to relieve stress and keep her motivated.
First, she started running competitively. Then, she moved on to triathlons. She soon made it to the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii – which for most people is a lifetime goal – and thought to herself: What next?
Now, Kriete primarily splits her time between training for the American Birkebeiner – which is held annually in Wisconsin and is one of the world’s premier cross-country skiing events – and captaining the Hollander/Benelux women’s competitive cycling team. That is, when she’s not working her 40- to 50-hour-per-week job or volunteering with Canine Cupids, a West Allis-based dog rescue organization.
“I think I have a pretty demanding job and my bike rides or skis are absolutely my time to decompress and think about things and process things and plan,” Kriete said. “I think I live a pretty efficient lifestyle. One thing people definitely tease me for is I don’t watch TV. I don’t have one at my house and I don’t watch it ever. That’s a lot of extra time I have that I can focus on other things. I work really hard, work out really hard and spend a lot of time with my foster dogs. I have a very, very full schedule. That’s for sure.”
