Both a fashionista and an athlete Maureen Romero lives her life “trying to be the best me I can be” while also trying to achieve optimal existence with everything she does. And she does a lot— competing in roller derbies, running marathons, and rescuing dogs.
No stranger to hard work Romero worked her way through UCLA with various retail jobs, while earning a degree in electrical engineering. In school she realized she being an engineer wasn’t for her. Retail was a happy accident.
Romero works at Nike in Culver City as Territory Director of the 11 west coast retail stores.
“Working at Nike is the best job ever,” Romero said. “It’s all my personality, and all my strengths, in one— it’s active and it’s fashion.”
And fashion is a big part of Romero’s life. So much so, she earned the nickname Lexy Stiletto on her roller derby team. Romero, a Rising Star with the Angel City Derby Girls, aspires to skate on their A Team, the Hollywood Starlets.
“It’s a real sport. It’s extremely physical,” Romero said, and she has the battle scars to prove it, having fractured her elbow during a match last year.
In addition to skating Romero has run, an impressive, ten full marathons, thirty-some half marathons, and counting. She currently runs a half marathon a month “just for fun.”
“I enjoy the solitude of running,” Romero said, “It’s something on my calendar that’s not work related and only has to do with me. Running is a very solitary sport; it’s based on your own ability. I always say God’s the only one who knows if I decide to walk a mile. I think for me, because so much of what I do is around people, for people, with people, I enjoy running because it’s a way to have some personal time, while also staying active.”
While being active is something Romero prides herself on her compassion is, by far, her greatest asset. What started as one dog adoption at the Lang foundation has turned Romero into a dog loving volunteer at The Ace of Hearts. Since starting five years ago she has saved, and adopted, four lucky dogs: Harley, Matilda, Cosmo, and most recently tiny, five-pound, Mickey.
“My problem is I’m not good at just fostering a dog because then I want to adopt them,” Romero confessed. “I really like to help those who can’t help themselves, and these dogs can’t speak for themselves. Some of my friends have officially dubbed me the crazy dog lady.”
Despite all her accomplishments, as her wind chime of marathon metals can attest to, Romero is most proud of her generous personality.
“I just have a huge capacity to love.” Romero said. “Even with running, or anything I get involved with, I want to help other people be good at it. At derby if there is a girl that’s shy and new I want to make sure she has the optimal experience at derby. I don’t think it’s my professional accomplishments or running marathons that I’m most proud of, but rather it’s my ability to be open to meeting new people.”
“I work ninety percent of the time so the ten percent of the time I’m not at work I feel it’s important to be connected with what makes you happy, and to family.”
Romero’s accomplishments whether athletic, professional, or humanitarian are impressive, but it is her down to earth and caring nature that makes her an inspiration. She reminds us that you can do what you love and be a successful, kind-hearted person as well.