Heather R. Kampf

Dog Lover | Expert Runner | Leads With Kindness

Heather R. Kampf

Operations & Client Services Specialist

A Little About Me

Running "Royalty": As a professional runner, I won 28 road mile races from 2011-2019, including 4 USA Championship Titles, which coined me the nickname on the American professional running circuit of 'Queen of the Road Mile'.

YouTube Sensation: I was tripped and fell during a race in college but had an amazing comeback- the video is going on something like 12 million hits because everyone can identify with a time they have figuratively 'fell on their face' and had to find resilience within themselves to get back up and keep pursuing a goal.

Proud Dog Mom: My fur children, Ellie and Dewey, are my pride and joy. Ellie is a sweet shepherd mix who likes snuggling and chasing critters, Dewey is a quirky pomeranian who loves all forms of attention (including negative) and is the social butterfly at the dog park with pups and people alike.

Faith: "Count it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you face trials of various kinds, for you know the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." - James 1: 2-5

Wanderlust: I love visiting new places, absorbing cultures different from my own, and enjoying the nature and beauty of the world. Through my running career and travels I've gotten to visit Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Scotland, Switzerland, and of course all over the USA.

Bucket list locations I still hope to see someday include Croatia, Greece, Iceland, New Zealand, and the African Plains.

Sweet Tooth: I've never met a dessert I didn't like, but if I had to choose just one type to consume for all of my days, I'd take a classic, warm chocolate chip cookie.

Favorite Quotes:

"To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift."

– Steve Prefontaine

More About Me

I followed a bit of an unusual path from being a 4-time Olympic Trials Qualifier to arrive in the finance industry but I suppose every journey is unique and I wouldn't change a thing about mine.

I studied Kinesiology and Psychology at the University of Minnesota while also competing for the Gopher Women's Track and Cross Country Teams. I was blessed to be a part of an incredible team that shared the success of 6 Big Ten Championship Team Titles, along with individually becoming a numerous time Big Ten Champion, an NCAA Champion, and 9xAll American. Following graduation I took a wild leap into the professional running scene. Some performance highlights of my career include representing the United States at a World Indoor Championship in the 1500m and the Pan American Games in the 800m, and running a mile in under 4 minutes 20 seconds. The amount of commitment, consistency, and passion that was necessary for me to succeed as a professional athlete is what I bring every day to GTS Financial.

Following my 'running retirement', the most important ingredients I was looking for in my next career were:

1. Something that would make me feel like I'm making a positive impact in the lives of others,

2. A career that would challenge me and have potential for future growth and learning, and

3. A workplace where I would be surrounded by good people who share my values of working hard but also prioritize time for family.

GTS Financial offered the full 'hat trick' of the elements I was looking for and I couldn't be more grateful to be a part of this team as we work together to guide you towards your best life.