Janovia McGruder

Janovia McGruder grew up on the south side of Chicago in the high risk neighborhood of Englewood.  She is the forth of eight children born to Cynthia Barrow.

At the age of nine years old when she was enrolled into Tri-Masters Sports Initiative Programs where she learned to swim and bike and also became a better runner. She also learned leadership skills that have helped her succeed in life. Janovia graduated from Randolph Grammar School and Bogan High School with honors.

During each summer since 2006 Janovia returned to work as a coach with Tri-Masters Sports Initiative Programs in an effort to give back and help change some lives of kids the same way her coaches from Tri-Masters had helped change hers.

In the spring of 2012 graduated from Upper Iowa University with a degree in Psychology. She gives a lot of credit to Tri-Masters for her success, saying they not only did the program teach her how to succeed in the sport of Triathlon but also how to succeed in life.   Through hard work, discipline and determination all things she learned while in Tri-Masters Janovia feels that she has beat the odds.

Janovia’s next future goals is to join the military as an officer in the United States Airforce.