ZAP Fitness-Reebok is extremely excited to announce the return of Stephanie Pezzullo to the ZAP-Reebok family. Pezz, a college soccer standout at Penn State, started her running career at ZAP back in 2006 after Coach Pete Rea spotted her at a track meet juggling a soccer ball and invited her to come run with the team. In her first few years in the sport Pezz made tremendous strides, qualifying for the US Indoor Championships within her first few weeks on the team. She moved to the 3000m Steeplechase during the outdoor season to capitalize on her athletic background, but broke her ankle while navigating the water pit in her 2nd time racing the event.
Pezz missed the better part of 2 years and returned to Charlotte, but made a dramatic return in 2010 where she ran 9:56 for the 3000m Steeplechase and qualified for the final at the US Outdoor Track and Field Championships. She repeated the feat in 2011, but in 2012 opted to not run the Olympic Trials despite qualifying, and instead moved up to the half marathon. Pezz toed the line for her first half marathon at US Half Marathon Championships in 2012 and ran an impressive 1:13 debut to take 9th place. That fall Pezz made an even more dramatic jump in distance and took on her first marathon that fall in Chicago where she ran a blazing 2:32. Pezz is now committed to the longer distances and has rejoined the ZAP-Reebok team with her eyes firmly set on the 2016 Olympic Marathon Trials in Los Angeles. In her first race back as a ZAP-Reebok athlete, and first track race in over 2 years, she won an indoor 5k at Boston University, clocking 16:05. Pezz will be back in action next at the Gasparilla Half Marathon on February 23rd. Welcome back Pezz!