Our Story

Julie and Brian Sibley’s Fleet Feet journey began in August 2012.  While driving home from an out-of-state triathlon, they began to entertain the possibility of opening a retail store.  They are both active in the local running and triathlon community and have mentored many new athletes over the years.  They believed that their desire to provide the tools and education to help people ease into running and their enjoyment in seeing them accomplish their goals closely resembled the vision of a Fleet Feet franchise. 

Julie, a former high school Spanish teacher, has been running and racing for the past 20 years.  She started running in high school and could barely run one mile.  Through training and perseverance, she’s grown into a regular at races of all distances, and eventually qualified for and completed the Boston Marathon.   Her favorite race distance is the marathon, and she is nearing her goal of completing one in every state.  She also competes in triathlons and has finished two Ironman races.  Julie enjoys educating new runners on every aspect of the sport and loves when they share their tales of accomplishment.

Brian continues to work as a technical analyst in the IT field but you will often find him in the store or working behind the scenes on nights and weekends.  Brian began running while serving in the Marine Corps, where there was no shortage of running.  He continued to run regularly, until he was sidelined with a knee injury.  Patience, cross-training and education facilitated his recovery. Brian was able to return to running with a rigorous training schedule that led to a PR at the half-marathon distance and the completion of his first marathon.  Like Julie, he also competes in triathlon.  Brian's favorite part about mentoring new runners is sharing his experience and the knowledge he’s learned.

The initial discussion back in August 2012 has led to a whirlwind of activity.  In November 2012 they were selected as store owners, followed by multiple trips to the Fleet Feet, Inc. headquarters in Carrboro, NC to meet with corporate executives and complete store training.  Renovations on the Bloomington location will be completed in time to open in May 2013.  They are proud to bring Fleet Feet Sports to the Bloomington-Normal area and are excited to share their passion for an active lifestyle with the community.