Story by Mary Mack Jones

Fleet Feet Sports, located in the Trace Station Shopping Center and conveniently situated near the Ridgeland Multi-Purpose Trail, has become a favorite haunt for runners, walkers and weekend athletes.  Owner Lesley McLin has created a gathering place for the running community in her retail store. Catering to the interests of the growing number of fitness enthusiasts in the Greater Jackson area, McLin has turned her lifelong love for sports into a vocation.

A Baton Rouge native, McLin came to Mississippi on a cheerleading scholarship at Delta State University in Cleveland.  A swimmer, diver and gymnast, she is no stranger to the sporting life.  After graduation from Delta State with a degree in exercise physiology, she found her first job at the Baptist Healthplex in Clinton where she worked for a year and a half.

In the fall of 2003, she ran her first marathon, thanks to the influence of mentor and friend, Jeff Wells, former owner of Fleet Feet.  Recognizing her potential, Wells hired her to work in his franchise operation, one of 80 Fleet Feet stores nationwide. Wells and Tom Raynor, CEO of Fleet Feet Sports, had founded a company called SRDC (Specialty Retail Development Company)  designed to provide an exit strategy for franchisers ready to move out of the business. At the same time, this innovative program allows young entrepreneurs to gradually gain equity in the franchise with a three-year contract, during which time they work toward controlling interest in the business.  After completing the program, McLin was able to take sole ownership of the Fleet Feet store in 2008.

Not just a retail store, Fleet Feet in Ridgeland has become the “go to” spot for training beginners and serious runners as well. The No Boundaries program, sponsored by New Balance is designed to take aspiring athletes from the couch to a 5K run after 10 weeks of training.  McLin has also participated as a coach for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training program.

“I love what I do,” says McLin “and feel so blessed to have this opportunity. One of my goals is to see my employees prosper and move on to better things, reaching their own goals. I love the idea of ‘paying it forward’ since so many good things have come my way with the help of other people.  I feel like this is my spot, my family.”

In spite of the 2009 recession, McLin has seen no sharp decline in business. “I had to get a lot more aware of inventory and keeping an eye on expenses,” she says, “but I was able to exceed my profit goals.”

Fleet Feet carries a full line of fitness apparel and athletic gear from foot wear to injury prevention equipment.  “What makes our store stand out is our customer service, “ says Mclin. “Our fit program is designed to be attentive to the shape of the foot and the gait of the customer—tailoring the shoe to the individual.”

The sky is the limit for this motivated young entrepreneur. Combining her gift for connecting people while doing what she loves, McLin is a sure winner.