Beware, corporations: Adding a Western Washington University graduate to your staff may result in your business sending eight people to participate in Bellingham’s rigorous seven-leg, multi-sport relay race.
That’s how Millig Design Build — a 2021 startup, headquartered in Kansas, that engineers and constructs safe, sustainable building improvements — wound up with a Ski to Sea team despite its employees being spread across four different states and British Columbia.
Five of Millig’s Ski to Sea team members live in Kansas, with three others in Colorado, Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia.
Seattleite Devin Malone, Millig’s senior business developer, earned his undergraduate degree from Western and participated in Ski to Sea in 2018.
For the rest of the team, it will be their first time. Malone, who will be doing the cross-country ski leg, proposed Millig send a team since most of their day-to-day communication is done remotely.
Leigh Myers, fourth from left, and Scott McVey, third from right, at the Hood to Coast relay. Myers and McVey will be two of Millig’s Ski to Sea team members. (Photo courtesy of Leigh Myers)
“We don’t even get that three minutes before and after a meeting when you just chat, you know?” Malone said. “We miss a lot of that sort of human interaction that’s not so project- and task-focused, I think. This gives us an opportunity to come together in a little bit different way and do some things that are not so work-focused.”
Millig’s group of racers is hoping Ski to Sea will be a valuable team-building exercise.
“I think it’ll be a good opportunity to get to know each other a little better, and in some more personal ways than what work allows from normal day to day,” said Leigh Myers, the team’s downhill runner.
Myers has participated in other races around the country, but never one that comes close to a multi-sport competition like Ski to Sea.
Half of Millig’s canoe team, Kevin Player, said it will be an entirely new experience for him.
Leigh Myers at the finish line of the Hood to Coast Relay in 2022. (Photo courtesy of Leigh Myers)
Kevin Player’s brother, James, will be Millig’s road biker and may be the most competitive athlete of the group.
“This is even a very unique race for him,” Kevin Player said of his sibling. “He’s never done anything like this, so he’s really excited.”
Kevin Player has the group’s simplest goal: Keep the canoe upright.
“I really don’t want to be wet and cold,” he said with a laugh.
Millig’s other team members include Scott Carlson (canoe), Cody Majorowicz (cyclocross bike), Scott McVey (downhill ski) and Colton Heaps (sea kayak).
Winning the race isn’t a priority — or even a thought, really — but landing in the top half of overall finishers would be preferred, Malone said.
They will race in the corporate division, which had 27 other teams registered as of May 3.
“I don’t know if we’re here to win, we’re here to do our best and just kind of see where we land,” Malone said. “Mostly we want to try hard and have fun.”
Devin Malone, right, will be Millig’s cross country skier in this year’s Ski to Sea race. (Photo courtesy of Devin Malone)
Malone noted it will be difficult for the team to make the trip to Bellingham, particularly because of the state of their business.
Time off has become a luxury, so they aim to enjoy every minute.
“It’s honestly hard for all of us [to make the trip],” Malone said. “Our company has grown a lot faster than we expected when we started two years ago.”
Luckily for Millig, their equipment rentals are locked up and their attitudes are in the right place.
“For me, as a runner, it’s always nice to have a destination race,” Myers said. “It’s pretty cool to be able to do something new like that and go to a new place. I hear it’s really beautiful there as well.”
