Our Story

Julie & Brian Sibley, Owners

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 were both active in the local running and triathlon community and had 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 over 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 - she has completed over 80 marathons and is nearing her goal of completing one in every state.  She also competes in triathlons and has finished 12 half iron (70.3) races and five full Ironman events.  Julie enjoys educating new runners on every aspect of the sport and loves when they share their tales of accomplishment.  Not only is she a teacher at heart but she's also a lifelong learner.  Julie recently went back to graduate school at Illinois State University and is pursuing a master's degree in exercise physiology.  She can't wait to apply this knowledge at the FIT stool and with our training programs.

Brian continues to work as a technical analyst in the IT field but you will often find him with our training groups or working behind the scenes.  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 and since 2012 he has completed 11 marathons.  Like Julie, he also competes in triathlon and has completed two Ironman distance events.  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 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.  The store opened its doors on May 23, 2013.  Julie and Brian are proud to have brought Fleet Feet Sports to the Bloomington-Normal area and are excited to share their passion for an active lifestyle with the community. 

Locations

Bloomington

105 Krispy Kreme Drive #5
Bloomington, IL 61704

309-808-3220

M: 10am - 7pm
Tu: 10am - 5pm
W-F: 10am - 7pm
S: 10am - 5pm
Su: 12pm - 5pm

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