TBO.com:
Competition has always been in Dawna Stone’s blood.
She thrived on it as a 6-year-old entering her first aquatic meets; as an elite college-level swimmer; as an Ironman endurance athlete.
And the contests didn’t have to be athletic. Her competitive spirit showed up in professional venues as well: on Wall Street, where she put a finance degree into action; in the publishing world; and on reality TV, where Stone won a coveted one-year job as Martha Stewart’s apprentice.
Winning is familiar, and welcome. But today, it’s not what’s most important. Juggling a whirlwind life as a mother, wife, publisher and recreational athlete carries a whole lot more weight than a first-place medal, says Stone, 40.
“Now, it’s about having fun,” she says. “I still have that competitive fire. But it’s different now that I’m a mom. … Now I just want to cross the finish line with a smile.”
Stone says she couldn’t imagine saying those words just three years ago. After winning “The Apprentice” with Stewart in late 2005, Stone spent a year working at a bevy of enterprises in Stewart’s publishing and entertainment empire. She returned to St. Petersburg; her husband, Matt Dieter; and Her Sports + Fitness, a first-time publishing venture for the former chief marketing officer at Clearwater’s MarineMax.
Stone has overhauled Her Sports + Fitness and launched a new baby of sorts just this month. The rebranded publication, Women’s Running, narrows the focus of a magazine Stone initially created to serve ordinary women interested in running, triathlons and other sports.
For Stone, Women’s Running exists for women like her: those who want to live a full, active life but don’t have a lot of time to figure out how. That attitude, she says, is best encapsulated in her favorite feature, called “Women who Move.” It highlights ordinary women who reach special goals and share their advice.
Though Stone has loads of her own success stories, she admits she uses this feature as a major source of motivation, especially when she’s struggling to juggle the life of a mother, wife and business owner. Even great competitors need a little inspiration, she says.
Logo from Women’s Running Magazine.