From paratrooper to podiums: The story of Janelle Teal
Janelle Teal is a wife, mother, gym owner, a US Army paratrooper veteran — and a very successful hybrid athlete. At the 2024 Deka World Championships, Janelle finished top 10 in four events, including second in the Deka Elite Mile. In the first-ever Deka Fit Ultra, a brutal competition consisting of five consecutive Deka Fits, Janelle placed third with an impressive time of 3:31:14.
The Hybrid Letter spoke with Janelle about the discipline she found in the military, how she focuses on the present, and the example she wants to set for her daughters.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
The Hybrid Letter: Can you tell us a little bit about your athletic background and career?
Janelle Teal: I currently live in Huntersville, North Carolina. I’ve lived here since I got out of the Army almost 10 years ago. My husband and I own a gym called Teal Fitness. We’ve been doing a hybrid style of training for a long time, combining his football conditioning and my Army conditioning into something everyone can do.
Before owning a gym, I was in the military as part of the 82nd Airborne Division. I jumped out of airplanes, repelled out of helicopters, and did all the fun stuff while I was there. My unit wanted me to be one of the first female Rangers. Ranger School had just opened to women as I was preparing to leave the Army. At that point, I was engaged, and while it sounded appealing—I was the PT (Physical Training) queen, scoring 100 on every PT test—it didn’t feel like the right time. In hindsight, I kind of wish I had done it, but that’s neither here nor there.
I decided to get out as my unit was about to deploy. My husband, Quinton, thought it was the perfect time for me to leave. I wasn’t nervous about staying—I was in the best unit ever, with a great chain of command, supportive soldiers, and a solid team—but Quinton, looking in from the outside, didn’t feel the same way. He encouraged me to transition out, so I did. It was a really fun, formative time in my life.
I’m a big advocate for the military. It instills discipline and selfless service, teaching you to do things for others, which I think is incredibly valuable.
THL: We see your daughters and husband at every race. Can you tell us a bit about your family?
JT: I’m a mom to twin girls who are four years old and just started pre-K this year. They’re a huge part of our life. They were preemies, born after years of trying to get pregnant. It took seven years and multiple rounds of IVF to finally have them. When I went into preterm labor at 29 weeks and six days, they were tiny—just three pounds, two ounces each. We spent a lot of time in the NICU.
Now, they’re always with us. They’re part of our gym family and have been there since they were babies. Everyone at the gym knows them. We’re still so obsessed with them because we wanted them so much, and when they arrived, they were perfect. I love that they’re growing up surrounded by this lifestyle.
THL: How did the military impact your approach to fitness?
JT: I grew up in a family of five siblings with little money, so I never played sports because we couldn’t afford them. But we were all naturally athletic. When I joined the Army, that’s when I tapped into my potential. Before that, I was a girly girl who avoided anything like being outside in the rain. The Army changed all that because I wanted to be great. I’m a Virgo, so I always strive for 10/10 in whatever I do. I fully immersed myself in training to see how far I could go.
The Army instilled discipline. If you want to be great, you have to do hard things. Everything in the Army was hard. I vividly remember Air Assault School, the first one held at Fort Bragg. It was designed to be extremely tough—an hour of PT followed by an obstacle course. The first task was climbing a rope, and your arms were already dead. Out of the 800 people who started, only 200 finished, and I was the only woman in my class who made it through.
Being surrounded by men in my unit drove me to prove myself. I always trained with the fastest runners and the strongest guys. I didn’t want to be seen as the weak girl. That mentality has stayed with me. Both of my parents were in the military, so discipline was ingrained in me from a young age. Fitness is non-negotiable for me and my husband, who made it to the NFL. It’s just part of who we are.
I’ve carried that work ethic into my daily life. I’ll wake up at 5 a.m., go for a run after work, and keep everything organized. I’ve learned that if I say something out loud—even just to myself—it becomes a commitment, and I follow through.
THL: What keeps you competing in Hyrox and Deka races?
JT: I’m naturally competitive and always want to be the best. Deka gets a lot of criticism, but I think it’s a great race format. The Strong, Mile, and Fit categories challenge people at all levels—beginners, intermediates, and elites. It’s shorter than Hyrox and may seem easier because it’s lighter, but it’s still challenging. I love that I can bring people from my gym to these races. They get excited, challenge themselves, and immediately want to improve their times. Seeing them take on that challenge and grow is so rewarding. For me, that’s the goal—to always get better and help others do the same.
Hyrox is a whole vibe. It’s like a fitness club. You want to wear your best outfit, perform well, and soak in the energy of the arena. The culture and community are incredible. From the moment you step into the venue, there’s this electric energy that just pulls you in. During the race, you might question why you’re putting yourself through the pain—it’s so hard. But when it’s over, there’s no better feeling. You can look back at your splits, compare them to last year, and see how much you’ve improved. That progress is what makes it so addicting.
THL: What are some mental strategies you practice and carry into your races?
JT: I focus on small, manageable chunks. For example, in the Deka Ultra, instead of looking at the full race, I broke it down into two laps at a time. Small goals are easier to digest.
The Ultra was a last-minute decision. Quinton even told me I didn’t have to do it, but I knew I could. I trust my ability to sustain a pace and push through pain because pain is temporary. Everything worth having is hard—that’s the point.
THL: What were some aspects of hybrid racing that you had to spend more time working on?
JT: I’m at the top of my age group but at the bottom of the elite level. It’s a tricky place to be. My first Hyrox race, I made the podium with a 1:08 open time. Quinton and I had been training in this style for years, so I thought I could just keep doing what I was doing. But I realized I wasn’t performing as well as I could if I worked on my running.
This year, I’m focusing on becoming a better runner. I’ve always been above average but not great. For example, I used to run just 10 miles a week and still clock 35-minute running times in a Hyrox. The one thing I hate is speed work, but I’m working on it.
THL: How do you balance being an athlete, a mom, a wife, and a business owner?
JT: It’s a constant juggling act, but I’ve found balance. I use every minute of my day efficiently. I’m the only one in my house who cooks, so everyone’s health depends on me. I take that responsibility seriously. I plan meals in advance and cook in batches to save time. For example, on Monday, I’ll cook for the next three days. On Wednesdays, I plan ahead for Thursday and Friday, which are my long workdays from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday is when I cook something we all love to avoid the temptation of eating out over the weekend.
I also time everything out. I’m a backward planner—if my girls need to be in bed at 9, I work backward to make sure everything’s done by then. I know exactly when dinner needs to be ready, when they need a bath, and what I need to accomplish during the day so I can focus on them in the evening. Once they’re home, my focus is entirely on them. It’s all about time management and staying in motion. Quinton knows not to interrupt me when I’m in my groove, and I’m usually clocking around 20,000 steps a day just from staying busy.
THL: What do you hope your daughters take from seeing you race and compete?
JT: I want them to know that winning isn’t everything. They always ask if I won, and most of the time, the answer is no. But I want them to see that I’m still happy, regardless of the outcome. Racing should bring joy, and if it’s not fun, you shouldn’t do it. Even when I don’t win, I’m proud of the effort I put in and the lessons I learn from every race.
I also want them to learn the value of hard work. If you want something, you have to work for it. It’s important to set goals and put in the effort to achieve them. My husband and I both hope they’ll become athletes because we see their potential and know how much they could grow through sports. But we won’t force it—it’s their journey to choose.
I hope they see the teamwork between Quinton and me, the discipline it takes to achieve goals, and the importance of enjoying the journey. Winning is great, but it’s really about the daily effort, consistency, and love for what you’re doing. I want them to understand that the process matters just as much, if not more, than the result.
You can follow Janelle on Instagram.
Science Corner: Kool it on ketones
You might see your favorite hybrid fitness influencer on Instagram chugging ketones before a race or a big workout. The idea is related to a ketogenic diet. When people consume very little carbohydrates, the body begins to produce ketones. The heart, brain, and other organs can use ketones as fuel. The theory is that by consuming ketones directly, endurance athletes can skip the extreme diet but improve performance by having access to ketones as fuel.
The only problem is that the best science has not shown that ketone supplementation improves athletic performance. A 2023 study of trained cyclists found that athletes who supplemented with ketones performed 2.4% worse on a 20-minute time trial than a control group that consumed a placebo.
Ketone supplements are not cheap. A 24-pack of Ketone-IQ, a popular brand, costs $120. The company recommends you take one daily.
A better recommendation might be to save your money.
For more discussion of ketones and athletic performance, check out this week's RMR podcast.
Hybrid Athlete of The Week: Frank Cadle
Name: Frank Cadle
Age: 29
Hometown: Attleboro, MA
When did you start hybrid racing? When college soccer ended, I was searching for a new way to challenge my VO2 threshold while competing in an athletic format. Hyrox provided the perfect mix of competition and structure to fulfill that need.
Favorite race to date? Hyrox NYC 2023. I competed while sick but stayed committed to my training in the lead-up. I managed to podium with my mixed relay team and finished strong with unbroken wall balls to close it out.
Race goal? I’m aiming to run doubles in DC and push the tempo to go sub-60 minutes.
Favorite station? Wall balls — it’s all about shutting off the mind and staying consistent.
Least favorite station? Lunges. The lactic build-up makes running afterward a real grind, and it takes mental toughness to power through.
Things you wish you knew when you started racing? Train everything in a compromised state, and seek advice from those with more experience. Social media posts don’t matter — what counts is showing up and backing it up on race day.