The SOUTH LAKE TABLET had the opportunity to catch up with Kevin and Kimberly Grogan, both accomplished Clermont athletes and owners of DASH Sports.
South Lake Tablet Business Highlight – DASH Sports. (Shop and support local businesses)
Posted by South Lake Tablet on Monday, April 20, 2020
Getting to know the Grogans, owners of DASH Sports
TABLET: Where did you grow up?
Kevin: Son of an FBI agent for 31 years, I grew up in Fairfax, Virginia. Much of my 
childhood centered around youth sports; basketball, soccer, & swimming. I moved to Parkland, Florida in the summer of 1990 where I finished up the second half of high school at Stoneman Douglas High.
Kimberly: I grew up in Columbus, GA with a brother and 2 sisters, and parents that kept us busy. Art, dance, piano, lots of outdoor playtime, great trips, and hiking framed my childhood.
TABLET: What got you started in an active lifestyle?
Kevin: Junior year at Douglas, the cross country coach made all the basketball players run for conditioning. It turned out I was kind of talented at running. I found my self running in the state track meet that Spring after just a few months of running.
Kimberly: We hiked, rode bikes a lot and were generally a very active family, but I wasn’t very athletic. I made the cheerleading team and soccer team at my small Catholic High School because I liked to be busy. But it wasn’t until I was running a workout with a friend in my early 20’s when the cross country coach from Samford University offered me a scholarship to run for the team.
TABLET: How did you meet?
Kevin: We met in Panama City on the beach right before the 2003 Gulf Coast Triathlon. I had just raced a big race in St. Croix the week before where I claimed a spot to the famous Hawaii Ironman. I walked up and tried to impress Kimberly that I just qualified for Kona but she kind of blew me off. It was her first half ironman and I guess she was a little nervous (and I was so new to the sport, I didn’t know what Hawaii was, but the next month I went to Utah to try to qualify too – I qualified later that summer for the following year). When I got back home to South Florida, I emailed the race director who was my friend and asked if she would forward the email to Kimberly. The next day I got an email back from Kimberly.
TABLET: What brought you to south Lake County?
Kevin: After moving to Alabama for a year to be with Kimberly, I decided I wanted to get back to warm Florida. There was an elite development triathlon team forming in Clermont, so I made Kimberly apply. Actually, I might have applied for her. I hate cold weather.
Kimberly: The lifestyle of running, riding and swimming year-round is why we moved here. The open spaces, hills, and good weather are pretty perfect.
TABLET: Both of you have competed in the Kona Ironman Triathlon multiple times. What was it like competing at the World Championship?
Kevin: It’s one of those races that you will always remember the first time you do it. I went back the next year & it wasn’t the same. I am very appreciative to my parents for supporting my triathlon dreams at the time so I could race twice but I just think there is something special about your first time racing Kona. Kimberly & I have both raced there twice.
Kimberly: There’s no race course like Kona – there is a feeling on the island that supersedes any other race. The water is beautiful, the course is tough but energizing.(ps. it’s hotter in Clermont that time of year)
TABLET: Before you opened your first store in Clermont, what kind of work did you do?
Kevin: I taught physical education in the public school system at the elementary school level. Four years in Broward County and two years in Lake. I enjoyed it but knew I wanted to eventually do something else; just did not know what.
Kimberly: I was staying at home with Gavin and have a physical education degree, but knew that I was more suited for retail. I worked at the Gap and other small clothing retailers in high school and college and just love the detail and reward of it.
TABLET: Your new location is beautiful and has a lot more space. How has the move to Downtown Clermont been for you?
Kevin: It has been really exciting. The new spot lets us be a true running store in my opinion. We can have group runs and guest speakers. It lets us invite a lot of people to the store and be as big as we want to be. It is also fun to be part of what is going on Downtown. The people at the National Training Center (NTC) will always be special to us. We raised our kids there and made a lot of wonderful friends but it was time to move on to something bigger.
Kimberly: ditto.
TABLET: Do you only carry merchandise for triathletes and runners at DASH Sports?
Kevin: Not hardly. We are very passionate about helping Every customer in his/her journey to be more active and healthy. While we do carry products for serious endurance athletes, we also help those looking to live a healthier lifestyle.
TABLET: You are both very involved with the endurance and exercise community in south Lake County. What advice do you have for someone that is looking to run their first 5k, first Sprint Triathlon, or upgrade their training to the next level?
Kevin: The hardest part is just showing up. Once you get out there to the event you realize how much fun it can be. Find a fitness friend to workout with & tell them your fitness goal. Accountability will get you there!
Kimberly: I would say pick a goal event and start working towards it. If you are a person who wants to learn with others there are great groups in the area that can help. Our Dash Run Group is great for starting to run (link), Swim Like a Pro or Clermont Area Triathletes for starting into triathlon. The endurance training scene in this area is very welcoming and organized, so it shouldn’t be too hard to get involved.
TABLET: What is next for the Grogans and DASH Sports?
Kevin: Believe it or not, we have only been open on Montrose Street for 8 months. We had a tremendous amount of momentum leading into the spring and we hope to pick that up as soon as we can. The future is very bright for Dash Sports and we look forward to sharing it with all our Lake neighbors!
