CEO & Head Performance Coach

With over 25 years of experience in the endurance sports and fitness industry, Jay Ridgeway is a veteran USA Track & Field and USA Triathlon–certified coach, certified personal trainer, and master-level outdoor boot camp instructor. He has dedicated his career to helping athletes of all levels train smarter, perform stronger, and live healthier through a holistic and results-driven approach.

In 2002, Jay founded PacWest Endurance (formerly PacWest Athletics) in the San Francisco Bay Area, transforming it into one of the region’s most comprehensive endurance training organizations. Over the past two decades, PacWest has served more than 2,500 athletes through programs in running, cycling, swimming, outdoor boot camps, and personal training, along with hosting community events and corporate wellness programs.

In 2009, Jay launched and directed the Team PacWest professional and elite amateur coed race team, which quickly became a regional powerhouse—dominating races across California and beyond. For seven years, Team PacWest athletes earned numerous podiums and national titles, including multiple USA and World Champions, solidifying the team’s legacy of excellence.

Between 2013 and 2015, Jay served as Head Coach of the University of Missouri Triathlon Team, supporting his daughter Emily’s leadership as team president. He remotely coached the team while traveling to national competitions and training camps, including appearances at the USAT Collegiate National Championships in Tempe, AZ, and Clemson, SC. Jay also contributed to the community as Head Coach of the Dipsea Kidz Youth Development Program, part of the historic Dipsea Race Foundation.

In 2024, Jay expanded PacWest’s mission with the launch of the PacWest Youth & Junior Multisport Development Program, in partnership with USA Triathlon, to nurture emerging talent and grow the sport throughout the Greater Reno–Tahoe region. That same year, he relaunched PacWest Productions (pacwest.events)—introducing five signature endurance events across Northern California and Northern Nevada, including the inaugural Reno–Tahoe International Marathon and the PacWest Championship Series (Triathlon).

A lifelong athlete, Jay began competitive running at age 11 and completed his first triathlon in 1985. A proud University of Oregon alumnus, he’s been an active age-group competitor for over 40 years, finishing countless triathlons, marathons, and half-marathons—including six Boston Marathons and two New York City Marathons. Jay is a USA Triathlon All-American, a Team USA World Championship representative, and a passionate race announcer—widely known in the community as the “Voice of USA Productions.”

After a seven-year break from racing, Jay returned to competition in 2021, completing Ironman 70.3 Hawaii, Ironman 70.3 Arizona, and the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in St. George, Utah.

Today, Jay lives in Reno, Nevada, with his wife Dr. Johanna Lelke and daughter Elliana, where he continues to train and coach throughout the stunning Reno–Lake Tahoe region. He leads PacWest alongside his adult daughter and fellow coach Emily (Ridgeway) Torluemke, continuing a family legacy of athletic excellence and mentorship.