Neilson Powless and Shayna Powless parents Jen Allred and Jack Powless are both athletes. Jen and Jack first met in Guam while working in the U.S. Air Force.
Jen was chosen for a position at Pacific Islands Club while Jack had been employed by the United States Air Force as an aircraft mechanic.
Because of the same interest in the field of sports Jen and Jack get a strong bond. They both married and made a family together.
Jack and Jen recalled their time in Guam and they have talked many times about moving back.
Jack, a former triathlete with a high national ranking, taught his children some difficult lessons about the value of commitment and perseverance in accomplishing both athletic and non-athletic goals.
Neilson's mother Jen is also a talented athlete who participated in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona as a marathon runner for Guam.
Dad Jack Competed In An Ironman Competition
Jack took part in an Ironman event and represented Guam in sports. He has participated in seven Ironman events.
He placed 113th overall, which is a great accomplishment for a competitor who works a full-time job and wants to compete against professionals.
Jack was given the responsibility of creating fitness plans for special operations after earning his Fitness Specialist Certification from the American College of Sports Medicine.
He has competed in triathlons, road and mountain biking, jogging, swimming, and adventure racing while representing his tribe and the US Air Force.
Jack has been an active leader in his community by volunteering and coaching children's soccer teams, youth triathlon teams, and youth high school and college track and field teams.
He helped over 300 young cross-country runners qualify for the USATF Junior Olympics/National Championships through coaching multiple national championships.
Additionally, he trained his son Neilson Powless and daughter Shayna Powless to win multiple national championships in road cycling, XTERRA, and mountain biking.
Both currently compete as professional cyclists for the Wisconsin Oneida Nation.
Mom Jen Allred Is Former Long Distance Runner
Neilson Powless mother Jen Allred participated in the 1992 Summer Olympics women's marathon. Jen also participated in seven World Athletics Championships for Guam.
Allred won four medals at the South Pacific Games in 1991, including golds in the 1,500m, 3,000m, and 10K races as well as a silver in the 800 meters.
Another famed Olympic medal winning runner we wrote about previously is Loretta Claiborne. She was the first special Olympics athlete to win a medal on the world stage.
After retiring from the competition, Jen Allred coached the cross-country and track programs at American River and Sierra Colleges.
Before joining American River College in 2000 as head coach for women's track and field and cross country, she lead track and field team to the third state championship in ARC's history in 2007
