Meet Adele! A mother to a three-year-old boy and a one-year-old girl, Adele wears many hats, including being the Service and Contracting Sales Leader for Trane NJ. While she may not currently participate in organized sports teams, her life remains incredibly active as she effortlessly juggles parenthood and her professional role, fueled by her Peloton sessions and the joy of chasing after her energetic duo.
From Ocean Township, NJ, Adele’s journey with sports began in middle school, where she engaged in a variety of activities. From field hockey to indoor track and lacrosse, she continued her athletic pursuits throughout high school. After high school, Adele pursued a degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering at Virginia Tech, following another passion of STEM and Engineering. Adele was determined to keep her love for field hockey alive and played a season on the Club Field Hockey team at Virginia Tech, balancing her commitment to fitness with academic priorities. Her passion for STEM took over, and she made the choice to focus on her studies at VT.
Post-college, Adele embarked on a career with Trane, earning her way to a leadership role in a predominantly male industry. Recognized twice as a Female Spotlight for Trane, Adele drew from her sports background, understanding the importance of cultivating drive, identifying areas for improvement, and teamwork. Her dedication earned her accolades for Recruiting Top Talent at Trane, along with nominations for three leadership programs—a testament to the skills honed during her formative years in youth sports.
Continuing her commitment to an active lifestyle, Adele embraced Crossfit for many years and now embraces Peloton boot camp classes daily. Beyond personal wellness, she has shared her love for fitness with her children, fostering an environment of movement and outdoor play. Adele also recently started a new adventure, entering into the world of photography on top of her full time job. Join us in meeting Adele and discovering how fitness continues to be a positive force in her life, shaping her journey both personally and professionally.
Q: What sports did you play growing up?
I played field hockey, lacrosse, and track for conditioning between seasons.
Q:Was there anything that made you hesitant about starting your sport(s)?
I moved and changed schools almost every year until I was in 5th grade. I was nervous to start sports because so many other kids had been playing rec sports together for years and I was coming in so late.
Q: What female athletes (or any athletes) did you look up to?
Serena Williams, Simone Biles, Derek Jeter, Tom Brady, LeBron James – I admire the athletes that give back to their communities they live in and were from.
Q: What is your favorite memory associated with sports?
Some of my most favorite sports memories were the summer and winter leagues we would play in the off-season to stay in shape and work on our chemistry. One year, very early in our career, many of our top players played in a winter league together. We coached ourselves – our high school coach did not participate. It was just us but we were competitive and always wanted to win. We were a team of just freshman girls and we played teams that had their JV and varsity players play. We won that year. We had zero subs and played all game 8 on 8. We beat girls that drove their own cars there – none of us even had permits. It was awesome. We were so proud and I can’t remember a better moment than when we won that tournament that winter.
Q: How has playing sports helped shape your life?
Sports emphasize how much you need to practice to succeed. How you need to have a strong foundation of strength and fundamentals before you build on to become more. It taught me that even if you do all the right things – your conditioning is top notch, your skills are refined, your team chemistry is amazing, you still might not end up on top. But you learn – you learn where you can improve and you create the drive to get there and hopefully ultimately succeed.
Sports creates a competitive environment where hard work is rewarded. It’s fair, and at the same time it’s not. There will be the kids that can afford the private lessons, or the travel leagues, but the game itself is always fair- anything can happen. Sports give you hope and they help you believe in yourself and in others. Whether you’re watching sports, or playing sports, the environment is always electric. It’s one of the best feelings in the world.
Q: What advice would you give to young girls who are just starting off in sports?
You CAN do it. Believe in yourself. Some will be better, faster, stronger, quicker but I promise if you practice you can do anything. It may not be easy – practicing is very hard work and there are no instant results but the journey is so rewarding. You can do anything you set your mind to. Find your supporters, your coaches, and keep them by your side. Together, you go far.
Being active has so many benefits beyond just winning. It’s good for your heart, your health, your mind, your body, and your soul. So few people make it to any sort of professional level but the lessons we learn along the way are all the same – hard work pays off. It’s truly invaluable the lessons you learn on the court, on the field, in the pool, on the mat, or on the track, and also what you learn from your coaches, from your teammates, from your competitors, and even from yourself.
Coach Rachel 