​

Dawn Westrum is a health enthusiast and has been studying nutrition since 2004. Incidentally that's also the year she ran her first marathon, and came to realize just how important nutrients were to optimize performance. Those first 26 miles were completed on a dare, with only 3 days notice! 

Dawn is currently back in school in 2023, at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN) studying to be a Health Coach, where she is learning that supplements are just part of the whole picture of health. Expect VIGEO Health to grow and change as she learns more about the different facets of health, including relationships, communication, exercise, fresh air and nature, faith, finances, and joy. 

​

Dawn has now run over 100 ultramarathons, as well as 100-mile runs, 5-day adventure races, Spartan Obstacle course races, and Ironman Triathlons. She races her paraglider, too, and was the top woman over twelve days in the 2015 Red Bull X-Alps, completing 300 miles on foot and 500 in the air. Check out her book Racing to the Sky on Amazon.

​

Dawn spent ten years in the United States Army, and worked in Satellite Communications.  She was stationed in Maryland, Germany, and England.  It was partly due to her military training that she learned to have confidence in her choices and decision making process, and she became Soldier of the Year several times, at multiple levels of the Army command structure.  Dawn spent a year living in a small village in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, learning how the indigenous Mayan people live such simple yet apparently happy lives.  Dawn also spent a year traveling around the world, visiting all corners of the globe and traveling to 43 countries.  The perspective she gained from her travels abroad have given her additional feedback on how there are multiple ways to accomplish goals, but that hard work and focus are always part of success. 

Dawn has optimized her nutrition for athletic competitions, and is now faster in her 40s than she was in her 20s.  She credits this to knowing what and when to take, both before and during her races.  Just as importantly, she knows how to recover quickly afterward from soreness and injuries.  In 2022, Dawn ran her fastest 100 miler, completing a coveted goal of finishing in less than 24 hours.  Dawn is also the reigning Age Group World Champion at the 24 Hour Spartan Ultra Obstacle race, completing 62 miles and 15,000 feet of elevation gain, missing only one obstacle the entire race.

​

Dawn and her husband Jim love to throw pool parties in their backyard, and hang out with their Cattle Dog named Spot.  They have 15 friendly chickens and love eating eggs. If you don't hear from Dawn much in October, it's because she is back on her family farm in Iowa, driving the corn combine, getting back to her roots, and enjoying a change of scenery.

Follow Dawn's races on her blog at https://hikerdawn.blogspot.com/