Keiko Shimada Assistant Coach

Hi! I am coach Keiko. I have been running almost my whole life since I was in middle school in Japan. Running is my favorite activity and the only sport I’ve done. I believe running is the simplest and easiest sport to start. It requires only your running shirt, pants and a pair of shoes. We are fortunate to have such beautiful trails around here in Orange County.

My History with WeRock
I was introduced to WeRock when my daughter joined in 2016. Through my daughter’s experience with WeRock, I rediscovered my love of running. I still remember on the first day of practice,  I decided to run with the kids just because I was too shy to hang out with the other parents. And what happened? I became obsessed with running with WeRock and ran every single practice with my daughter until she completed the middle school program at the end of 8th grade. I was impressed by the positive change in our lives. My daughter carried her running career into high school and college. I kept running as my hobby. I love that it helps me stay healthy.  WeRock helped me find the beauty of the trails around us and the joy of participating in local races, which I would never know if my daughter did not join this program.

Race History
I ran my first half marathon in Bali, Indonesia in 1995.
6 OC full marathons and many half marathons.
A bunch of small races in between

Favorite WeRock race
OC marathon. This completes the season and what we’ve worked for over 9 months. I love to see the strong emotion among our kids, parents and coaches.

Allison Schoeberl Assistant Coach

Hi, I am Coach Allison!  This is my second year with weROCK and I am beyond excited!!

My History with WeROCK

I have run Surf City and OC for years now and always noticed all of the people in bright orange shirts supporting each other and having so much fun out there!  I just knew I wanted to be a part of it!

It’s always fun to hear a coach’s race history!

I ran my first Half Marathon in 2013, and since then have run countless 5ks, 10ks, and Half Marathons.  In 2021, I trained for my first Full Marathon and it changed my life!  I always said I would NEVER run a Full Marathon, and even when I first signed up for it I wasn’t sure I would be able to finish.  After months of training, pushing past my fears, and putting in the work, I learned that I CAN do hard things.  I am looking forward to sharing this journey with all the runners this season!!

Favorite WeROCK Event

The OC Marathon!!  I can’t wait to cross the finish line with everyone and share that incredible feeling of accomplishment.

Sienna Pixley Assistant Coach

Hello! My name is Siena and I’m so excited to be an assistant coach at DJAMS this year! I’ve been running with WeRock for the past 5 years as a middle and high schooler and this will be my first year as an assistant coach. I started my running journey in 8th grade and loved it so much that I continued for all four years of high school. I really enjoyed being able to stay active and be surrounded by such a supportive group! I’m so excited to see you all out there this year!

Keith Arthur Diamond Valley Marathon Coach

My name is Keith Arthur. This season will be my sixth year as a participant in this program and fifth year as a WeROCK Coach. I have had two of my kids complete the program and go on to run multiple other marathons outside of WeROCK as well as High School Cross Country. I was the Head Coach of the AVMS team for the last two years and have stepped into a new role as a supporting coach this season.

I’m an RRCA Certified Run Coach, triathlete, and avid cyclist. I have completed multiple half and full marathons thanks to WeRock, and I regularly participate in 100-mile cycling events (Centuries), Mountain Bike Races, and triathlons across California, Nevada, Utah, and Colorado.

My History with WeRock

I was introduced to WeRock in 2017 when my son was in 7th grade and was immediately inspired by the program and its mission. After witnessing the positive mental and physical growth experienced by so many kids, including now two of my own children, I’ve become a firm advocate for this amazing program and its lifelong positive influence. It’s incredible to see what our youth are capable of when they realize that small incremental changes and hard work can produce massive achievements they will carry for their entire lives.

Favorite WeRock Events

My favorite WeRock events are the Mount Baldy Hike at the end of the summer program, the Citrus Heritage Half Marathon, which has traditionally been our first half marathon of the season, and the OC Marathon! Seeing the kid’s confidence soar as they cross the finish line after such an incredible test of endurance is truly inspiring.

Coach Keith 2020 OC Marathon Virtual Edition

Ed Arpawong Assistant Coach

There is no doubt that running is one of the best activities for humans. It’s part of an excellent lifestyle, dramatically improves health, and be done with high-quality friends. I’m here to help kids start their journey on integrating this fantastic exercise into their lives by encouraging them to push themselves, get off their phones, and hopefully develop running for life.

My history with WeROCK

My three kids all completed three years with WeROCK. During those eight years, we have lots of great memories, miles, smiles, and pictures. Now in my 10th WeRock year, I have joined the countless other coaches who continue to coach despite not having kids in the program anymore. It is that good here.

It’s always fun to hear a coach’s race history!

I started running in 2007. Before then, I never ran and had been eating lunch out every day. When I started running, I dropped 20 pounds and a lot of aches and pains went away. My first half-marathon was Pasadena 2009 and it rained cats and dogs the entire time. We ran through rivers and I actually enjoyed the rain. I did learn, as many of my fellow male runners, to always wear two band-aids on long runs.

My current half marathons every year are whatever WeROCK does plus Long Beach and Laguna Hills. Eventually, I have my eyes set on full marathons at Los Angeles, San Francisco, Paris, and Berlin.

Favorite WeRock Race

They’re all good! The first race of the season is always exciting. Same with the first half-marathon. If I had to pick a race, my favorite is the OC. It’s the culmination of all the kids’ hard work and it’s great to see the kids finish their full marathon. The 3:00 am wake-up and meeting before the sun rises is a runner thing. The kids do the usual morning warm-up run and stretches, like they’ve done every Saturday for nine months, but it is different. They toe the start line of the full 26.2-mile course, accepting the challenge. Watching them each come in one at a time is truly wonderful!