Ski to Sea 2015: MFA Team Finishes Alive, and then some

This blog was originally written by former MFA Senior Chemist/Environmental Scientist Erik Naylor.

Being based in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, Maul Foster & Alongi embraces the outdoors and encourages our employees’ pursuit of a myriad of activities that support healthy lifestyles. As part of our corporate culture, we have put together employee teams to compete in a number of organized events, including the Hood to Coast and Ragnar Northwest Passage running relays, and the Ski to Sea multi-sport competition, among others. With a play on our company acronym of MFA, our teams register under the name of Must Finish Alive.

Over Memorial Day Weekend, eight of our employees competed as a team in the Whatcom County-based Ski to Sea race. I am happy to report that Must Finish Alive not only finished “alive,” but finished 3rd overall in the Competitive Mixed division (non-recreational division with four or more women competing).

Competing in one of the earlier race legs (42-mile road bike leg) provided me the opportunity to reflect on each of my teammates’ performances as the race progressed. As each competitor finished his or her leg, I noticed the similarities of the race to our project work, which reminded me of why MFA is such a successful consulting firm. Like every MFA project, each team member came ready to complete their assigned task, and when it was their turn, they gave it their all. Each members’ performance was strong, which, when taken as an aggregate, is why we were able to podium. Similarly, in MFA’s professional realm, each project team member consistently provides solid performances, which is why MFA has become one of the most respected firms in the Pacific Northwest.

The camaraderie that develops through competing on a team with our co-workers is unparalleled. While we are currently preparing for this summer’s Hood to Coast running relay, there is already discussion regarding our 2016 Ski to Sea team, only this time we may want to change our name to Must Finish Ahead!