Hannah Huppi

Husband: John

Child: Hazel, 4

Occupation: COO of Snaply, Co-founder/Coach at ErgoFit, U.S. Coastal Rowing Athlete

Hobbies: Rowing, ultrarunning/endurance sports, coaching, volunteering with youth sports

WHAT DOES A NORMAL DAY LOOK LIKE FOR YOU?

HANNAH: What’s normal? Because we’ve got so many things going on (me, John, and Hazel,) we have to be pretty dynamic and flexible. Some days, I’m leaving the house at five to go coach; some days it’s John. We’re trying to keep things flexible while also recognizing the need for routines. In the mornings when I’m home, I’ll get Hazel up and ready for school or camp. One thing, as far as our routine that I like to do, is try to save enough time to park and walk her to school, instead of carpool drop-off. In our very busy lives, that’s a nice calm moment when it’s just me and her. I hold her hand, I get a little peek into her world, and I know she really likes it. After that, it’s always different. It always includes training, some kind of workout–rowing, running, biking, swimming–then, coaching, or meetings. I’m a little bit of a jack of all trades. Evenings are the same. Sometimes, it’s a lot of extracurriculars for Hazel, or we’re at home. We always try to get outside every evening; that’s always our best family time. 

HOW DID YOU GET INTO ROWING? WHAT DRIVES YOU TO CONTINUE PURSUING IT?

HANNAH: I grew up doing a lot of different sports: soccer, running, swimming… I trained in everything, basically, but didn’t start rowing until college. I didn’t even know what rowing was until I showed up to the first practice and I thought, “Oh, this is my sport!” I’ve been rowing ever since, and it’s been 16 years. What I like about rowing is that it’s a team sport, but it’s also got a big individual element. I also love that it is a lifelong sport. Your goals will change, but it’s a cool way to stay healthy and have a passion that can grow with you. I truly just love rowing, and I’ve enjoyed all the opportunities it’s brought me. I met my husband on the first day of rowing practice at Tulane, and to think of what we’ve accomplished in the rowing world is really cool. Sharing this passion with my husband is one thing that’s kept me in the sport. We were on the national team together, in the same boat, sharing some of the best moments of our athletic careers. But we’ve also had completely devastating failures in our athletic careers. Being able to do that with your partner is something most people don’t get to do. 

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO OPEN YOUR OWN FITNESS STUDIO?

HANNAH: A theme in all my work and athletics has been entrepreneurship. I went to graduate school in Berlin, and when I was there, I worked for a marketing software startup. It was super fun just being hands-on in all the different pieces during this really critical time for them starting that company. That’s what started the love. Over the next 10 years, I had to figure out what to do next, the whole gambit of startup life, successes, failures, starting spin-offs, and ultimately selling and being acquired. Now, I’m working as the COO of Snaply. It’s fun getting back into the creative, startup business. In the meantime, I’m also working at ErgoFit. I’ve always had a passion for rowing, I’ve always seen the need for it in the market, and we just wanted to spread our love of rowing to everyone in New Orleans and allow them to have this unique–but super impactful–fitness outlet. That’s why we started ErgoFit. It’s my first time working more hands-on in a brick-and-mortar start-up, which has been a very different experience, but a lot of fun. I enjoy seeing this side of entrepreneurship. 

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR OTHER ASPIRING ENTREPRENEUR PARENTS?

HANNAH: If possible–especially if it is a passion-driven project–include your kids. One of the really special things about opening ErgoFit was that Hazel was there with us the whole time. She was there when we first started doing the demo and was part of the whole transition, helping build the business and helping put together equipment as we were about to open. Now, she’s a fixture of the ErgoFit community. She’s not always there when we’re working or coaching, but she still gets to see her mom and dad both working on something they’re passionate about, while also participating herself. Whether it’s actually helpful or not, letting her help and have some ownership has been really special. 

WHAT ARE SOME JOYS AND CHALLENGES OF BEING A MOM?

HANNAH: Joys: I really enjoy watching Hazel grow up. I love seeing her become her own person with opinions, being just amazed at things I take for granted. I love being able to see the world through her eyes. It helps me take a step back and get a little bit of perspective. As for challenges, the transition to becoming a mom wasn’t easy for me, especially in the athletic side of my life. I had a lot of trouble feeling like I lost a little bit of my identity. I didn’t have that same outlet. Also, things that I felt were a part of me–like my athletic performance and being able to race–were stripped away. It was a different period of my life. It caused a big mental shift for me. Ultimately, I realized it wasn’t something that prevented me from that world. Luckily, I was able to get back into training quickly, and it accelerated my athletic career. I was able to make the national [rowing] team with Hazel as a one-year-old, which I didn’t think was possible. A big-picture goal I have with my rowing is to encourage women not to lose sight of their own athletic goals. They don’t have to choose between family and sports. There are a lot of barriers for women in adventure sports. With rowing, I’m trying to show women, moms, and kids that the only thing stopping you is your own limited belief in what is possible. 

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR PARENTING STYLE?

HANNAH: Flying by the seat of my pants. My parenting style is a learning experience. I feel like I am relatively relaxed, and I try to be patient and kind over goals and parenting. I’m more into giving Hazel her independence, helping her build her confidence, and giving her autonomy to make choices. Those are important things I think are helping build someone strong and confident. As a parent, to build that, I have to give her the reins, even when it doesn’t always feel comfortable. I want to give her space to explore and space to make good and bad decisions. She learns with us. 

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING TO DO AS A FAMILY?

HANNAH: We love being outside, going to the beach, and bringing Hazel out with us for rowing and training. Hazel is so involved with everything we do on a daily basis. One activity might be our walks around the bayou. We’ll do our walk around the pond and add in some games now that she’s getting older. I think those little family moments are my favorites. 

WHAT PERSONALITY TRAITS DO YOU SEE IN YOUR CHILD?

HANNAH: I see a little bit of my personality in her like when she’s drawing a picture and she gets frustrated because it’s not perfect. I say, “Been there, take a deep breath, I get it. We’ll get back to this later.” I see those things in her, which I know she’s getting from me. Also, she’s a little competitive, so I’m trying to teach her not everything is a competition. I don’t want her to be too obsessed with that idea. I know it’s a good thing, and she is athletic, but I want to instill that it’s about the experience, and she doesn’t have to be the best at everything. We also try to be giving and kind, so it makes me happy to hear feedback from her teachers saying she’s a good, supportive friend to her peers. That kind of thing makes me proud I’ve instilled some of that in her. 

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR PARENTS WHO MAY BE STRUGGLING WITH THEIR FITNESS JOURNEY?

HANNAH: One of my mentors once said to me, “What’s the best way to eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” I think that’s a really good way to think about fitness and training postpartum, after any injury, or after anything in your life that’s made you feel like there’s either a mental or physical barrier to getting back into exercising. Take small steps—don’t try to eat the whole elephant at once. Take little bites, and acclimate. One of the biggest things that can feel overwhelming is overcomplicating it. It doesn’t need to be that complicated, and you will feel better for taking one step at a time. Community also helps. Find a partner or group to help support you. It’s such a nice way to reintroduce yourself into fitness without feeling lost. 

Quick Q’s

1. Guilty pleasure…………..Sour candy (but I don’t feel guilty)

2. Favorite date night…………Hard workout then bagels and coffee

3. Most memorable travel destination………Slovenia for our honeymoon where we raced in a mixed double together 

4. Something that makes you laugh…My sisters

5. Something you’re looking forward to..Immediate future: an ultra marathon in August; long term: rowing across the Arctic