Meet the Team
Chelsea Simms
Chelsea is the owner of Running Water and you can find her coaching early mornings - her favorite time to move. Chelsea is originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, and relocated to her husband’s hometown of Harbor Springs in 2022. She’s a new mom, seasoned dog mom, wife, professional sailor, and newly retired tech executive. As a lifelong athlete (rowing, running and sailing - 3 National Champion titles, 2 Rolex titles, 4 World Championship podium finishes), she fell in love with Michigan and the variety of activities each season brings. After selling two startups in Silicon Valley she was ready to finally pursue her lifelong dream of opening a wellness studio and building a community through movement. Shortly after opening Running Water, she stepped down from her role running marketing and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion initiatives for a global team at Logitech. Within the first year of opening Running Water, she was honored by the community as the 2023 Young Entrepreneur of the Year through the Harbor Springs Chamber of Commerce. In addition to Running Water, Chelsea is passionate about philanthropy, and championing diversity, equity and inclusion in all facets of her personal and professional work. She holds Board seats as the Marketing Chair for Impact100 Little Traverse Bay; the Vice Chair, Americas for the International Melges 24 Class Association; and as the Vice President for the US Melges 24 Class Association.
Outside the studio she adores her new role as Mama to baby girl Harley Grace. Come summer she loves running our local trails, racing with her husband on their two sailboats NM 13 “Running Water” & Melges 24 “Straightarrow” or swimming at the point with their English Setters Oat and Honey. In the winter she’s skiing Nubs with friends. And year-round she’s trying to convince her husband that they need to adopt more senior dogs.
chelsea@runningwaterclub.com | instagram: @simmsies
Ellen Beatty
Ellen was the first coach to join our team at Running Water. Ellen grew up in Harbor Springs and loves being on Lake Michigan. She played soccer, basketball & ski raced in highschool and continues to enjoy living an active lifestyle. “As soon as I heard about Running Water, I knew I wanted to be a part of it in some capacity! It drew me in and now I can't get enough!” Ellen started running in college to keep up with the physical demands of soccer during the off season and since has run several half marathons and one full marathon. Ellen loves the way running makes her feel and the full body workout it provides. Beyond coaching at Running Water, Ellen manages the Boathouse here in Harbor Springs, after a decade of owning her own wedding planning business.
Outside the studio and the Boathouse you’ll find her in the summer spending her free time on or in the lake. She loves to take her dog, Hawk, on daily adventures whether that's mountain biking, hiking, running, swimming or cruising around on “The Hawk Express”, their dingy. Ellen coaches the JART Race program through Nubs Nob in the winter and loves to cross country ski whenever she doesn't have her hard shell boots on. When not playing in the snow she’s snuggling up with her tiny cat, Goose.
ellen@runningwaterclub.com | instagram: @lnktbt
Eva MacDonald
Eva grew up in Harbor Springs, spending time on the water and snow. Her love of movement and competition led her to play college soccer where she stood out for her enthusiasm and ability to make everyone feel part of the team. Post-college, Eva pursued running as a way to stay active, completing multiple half marathons. After her second baby was born in 2018, Eva completed her first Half Ironman race. In 2021, after the birth of her third baby, Eva challenged herself to her second Half Ironman race. This time, with a 4 year old, 2 year old and 6 month old as her training partners. Eva and her husband, Scott moved to Harbor Springs in 2020 to raise their family. They love their family ski days, finishing with hot chocolate at the warming hut. In warmer months, you might find them beached on their pontoon or idling for boat naps. Prior to being home with her kids, or what some parents might call their “past life,” Eva worked in advertising creating jingles and taglines for businesses in the restaurant industry and beyond. Let’s just say she’s rarely met a pun she didn’t love.
Eva has two non-negotiables in life- a salt rim margarita should accompany every taco and the extra for guac is always worth it. She fully subscribes to the idea that exclamation points are most often the only punctuation necessary…unless she’s asked to draft up something for work…:)Eva hopes that every client walks through the door with the anticipation and excitement of their first class, and leaves with the experience and confidence that they belong at Running Water.
eva@runningwaterclub.com | instagram: @eeeva10
Joanne Stewart
Joanne joined our Running Water team during the summer of 2024, although not new to our studio, Joanne had been taking Restore classes as a member of our community. Catch Joanne on the weekly schedule teaching our Restore classes. After a lifetime of summers in Harbor Springs, Joanne made the permanent move here in 2019 with her husband, Dick, and Barry, their beloved Brittany spaniel. Spending 40 years in Kalamazoo working in the schools and raising a family, the roots ran deep. But, coming home to Harbor Springs was always part of the plan and living on the lake full time seems pretty perfect.
Always an athletic weekend warrior that loved to run, injuries finally led her to realize the benefits of low impact sports. So, Joanne hung up her running shoes and added yoga and barre to her routine. Certified as a barre instructor, Joanne taught for five years in Kalamazoo and is excited to incorporate her experience into her Restore classes at Running Water.
Embracing all four seasons up here, Joanne loves hiking the conservancy trails and walking the beach for miles with Barry. During the summer and into the late fall, she treads with a fierce group of women in the lake and invites everyone to jump in! Being a full-time local now, Joanne continues to find her way in the community by working with the Harbor Springs Festival of the Book + volunteering at the food pantry and Lyric theater. If she happens to be out of town, chances are she’s visiting her three kids & five grandkids - the greatest excuse to travel!
joanne@runningwaterclub.com
Lyndsey Forton
Lyndsey is our newest coach to join the Running Water team. However, not new to our community, Lyndsey has been taking classes with us since we opened our doors in late 2022. Catch Lyndsey on the weekly schedule coaching our newest weightlifting class, Lift.
Lyndsey was born and raised in beautiful Northern Michigan, hailing from Traverse City, and brings her commitment to community and well-being to our studio. After graduating from Central Michigan University, Lyndsey’s journey took her out of state to Colorado and Texas. After spending a few years out of state, she finally returned home to her Michigan roots. Lyndsey lives in charming Petoskey with her two girls, Audrey and Scarlet, and their cat Dwight (formerly known as Beefers, his rescue name). Lyndsey enjoys spending time with her two daughters, cheering at their sporting events throughout the year, and spending time with family, and with friends who have become family. Her passion for fitness and wellness aligns perfectly with Northern Michigan's active lifestyle, embracing what each season brings, making her a natural addition to our Running Water team.
Weightlifting is Lyndsey’s favorite way to move, she loves feeling strong and the mental strength that comes from lifting heavy with precision. Lyndsey’s Lift classes focus on form and execution while testing your body’s abilities and stepping outside your comfort zone in a safe and encouraging environment. Oh and she loves heavy beat, so we hope you don’t mind lifting to (occasionally explicit) rap music.
lyndsey@runningwaterclub.com | instagram: @lyndseyforton
Lacey Swift - Guest Coach
Lacey is our breathwork guest coach, with her home base in NYC, catch her special Breathe classes on schedule throughout the year when she is back in Harbor Springs. Lacey is a certified somatic breathwork practitioner and empowerment coach dedicated to guiding individuals on their transformative journey toward self-discovery and empowerment. With a deep understanding of the power of breathwork, Lacey facilitates a safe and nurturing space for you to explore the connection between your breath, body, and inner wisdom. We hold a lot of stress in our body and that affects the way we live our lives. Lacey promises after a session you will feel lighter and grounded. During breathwork, we target your sympathetic nervous system in the first half with an upregulated breath to clear out any old energy patterns. In the second half, we go into your parasympathetic state with a gentler breath to repattern and relax. By guiding you through intentional breathing techniques, Lacey empowers you to release stagnant energy, access deep levels of relaxation, and unlock your inner potential.
Lacey loves NYC and the buzz of the city but it can be a bit overwhelming and chaotic (which is when breathwork comes in handy). She is committed to her practice, and you can even catch her doing a 4 count box breath seated on the subway! She’s done every therapy under the sun and fell in love with breathwork on a retreat 3 years ago. It changed her life and she decided more people need to know about it, so she got certified and now does events all over the country! Lacey is passionate about psychology, her dog Glenn (a mini golden doodle), and chicken pot pie (c’mon can we please all agree - it’s SO good!).
instagram: @lacey_swift
Chloe Jensen - Guest Coach
Chloe joined Running Water shortly after we opened our doors. After taking multiple classes weekly, she became hooked! Chloe grew up in Grosse Pointe and spent summers and winters in Harbor Springs. After living in California for 11 years, Chloe and her husband, along with their dog Lake, decided to move to Northern Michigan to raise their daughter and start their wine label. Chloe lived in Harbor Springs for 3 years before relocating to Grand Rapids in early 2024. Chloe comes back to Harbor Springs often and you can catch her guest coaching morning Run classes at Running Water throughout the year. Chloe loves all that Harbor Springs has to offer: trail run, hike, swim in the lake, ski and cross country ski. Chloe grew up playing soccer, running cross country, and skiing. Chloe lived in Switzerland in high school and again in college where she got to trail run, hike, rock climb, and ski in between classes. Chloe has backpacked extensively throughout the US and has always been a lover of the outdoors. She’s continued to be an avid runner and loves getting to know a new area by cruising through it in her running shoes. Chloe’s completed multiple triathlons, including the Walloon Tri.
Outside of Running Water, Chloe is the momma to Lily, VP of Marketing for Kin Euphorics, and owner of Shed Wine. You’ll often see Chloe at Nubs Nob teaching Lily to ski or hiking with Lake. Come summer, the Jensen crew is at the beach, on the boat, or walking the bluff.
instagram: @chloekjensen
Amy Plackemeier
Amy is our retail guru, managing our pop-up retail hours. Catch her greeting you as you come in to shop our RW Lifestyle brands. Amy is originally from Kansas and relocated to Michigan in 2017 for her husband’s work. Amy and Brad have 3 awesome humans (Brooks, Emme & Will) that attend school here in Harbor Springs. Amy has spent a long career in education as a Business/Technology teacher; she’s taught at schools across 4 different states (Missouri, Colorado, Kansas and Michigan). Amy has been a part of the Running Water community since we opened our doors in 2022, attending her first class during our opening week. As someone that never enjoyed running, Running Water, the classes, the coaches, the music, and the approach, won her over, and changed her mind. Amy attends classes weekly, and finally knows (and loves) the runner’s high.
Outside the studio Amy loves the outdoors, and takes advantage of the beauty that surrounds us in Northern Michigan and the Great Lakes whenever she has the chance (you may bump into her at the Thorne Swift Nature Preserve). She also loves a good road trip, and may have been a truck driver in a past life. In the warmer months she enjoys supporting her kids’ entrepreneurial efforts at the Harbor Springs Farmers Market, and year round watching her kids’ many sporting events. Amy is passionate about digital photography, and you can peak some of her many impressive photos on her instagram.
instagram: @nomi_magic
George “Bear” Peet
Bear grew up in Harbor Springs, sailing on the Great Lakes and skiing the local ski hills. After living all over the world for the majority of his adult life, Bear moved back to his hometown of Harbor Springs in 2018. In college, at Michigan Tech, Bear was a 3x All American ski racer. After college he departed ski racing to pursue sailboat racing full time. He sailed around the world in the Volvo Ocean Race, is a 2x World Champion, holds multiple world distance sailing records, and holds multiple national and regional titles in competitive one design fleets and individually in the Moth Class. He’s dedicated the past 20+ years of his life to racing sailboats professionally and working on the design of cutting edge technology. Off the water you can occasionally find him greeting you at the front desk of Running Water, working our pop-up retail hours, or trimming the hedges in the summer and shoveling the snow in the winter at the studio - his labor of love!
Bear loves being a new dad to his baby girl Harley Grace, and dog dad two English Setters, Oat and Honey. When is isn’t traveling and sailing for work, he enjoys exploring the non-water covered parts of the world via ski trips with his wife, and staying home to work on the never-ending project that is their 100 year old classic wooden sailboat, NM 13 “Running Water”. Bear is passionate about community and fostering the love of sailing and the Great Lakes in the next generation by volunteering to coach local high school sailors, and preserving Harbor Springs’ rich sailing and racing history as the Rear Commodore of the Little Traverse Yacht Club.
Year-round he’s trying to convince his wife that rescuing one senior dog at a time is enough.
george@runningwaterclub.com
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Oat
Oat is the Pup In Residence of Running Water. Although often confused with an English Setter, this guy is an English Snuggler - snuggling sticks, toys, people - whatever he can get his paws on. Find Oat ocassionally greeting the pack at the front desk in the mornings. Don’t be surprised if you find him after class on a treadmill getting his miles in when he can’t make it out on the trails. Oat loves to run, swim, hunt squirrels in the yard, paddleboard, and chase skiers down backcountry trails.