Coaching team

Meet your coaching team

Decades of experience derived from elite racing, team direction, coaching, science-backed training, and interpersonal experience dedicated to helping you reach your next level in cycling, multi sport or running. We have successfully coached cyclists and multi-sport athletes of all levels of experience and ability in 28 US states and 10 countries and are accessible worldwide!

Road • TT • Gravel • MTB • CX • Gran Fondos • Triathlon • Duathlon • Running
George Ganoung
USA Cycling Lvl 1 (Elite) Certified

George Ganoung

Founder & Head Coach

40+ years of competitive cycling, running, and multi-sport experience with national titles and World Championship starts.

Coach George brings over 40 years of competitive cycling, running, and multi-sport experience to Otterhaus. He has raced regionally, nationally, and internationally, earning numerous top finishes, four National Championships, and selections to 11 National Teams at World Championship events. He’s also led as a team captain, cycling director, and coach or training consultant for more than 100 athletes.

In 2013, after retiring from the Coast Guard following 20 years of service, George founded Otterhaus Coaching. His goal was simple: share the knowledge he’s gained from working with a wide range of athletes, coaches, and training philosophies with endurance athletes of all ages and levels who love the sport and want to improve.

Having successfully balanced a demanding military career with family life and high-level racing, George understands first hand how challenging it can be to juggle work, life, and athletic goals. Whether an athlete is just getting started, aiming for a professional path, or looking to level up fitness and skills at any stage, he emphasizes keeping the bigger life picture in view—and making the process as straightforward and fun as possible.

Averi Firari
M.S. Kiniseology

Averi Firari

Associate Coach

Elite MTB, cyclocross, and road racer with a research-driven approach to coaching.

Averi started endurance sports at 12 on her school cross country team, then quickly moved into cross country mountain biking, rising to Category 1 in the Wisconsin Off Road Series before enlisting in the Air Force. While serving, she balanced a demanding career with racing, earning a spot on the US Armed Forces Cycling Team and taking a top-10 finish at the Military World Cycling Championships in Belgium.

During her Air Force career, Averi was selected for the Air Force World Class Program and raced internationally for the US National Team at UCI Mountain Bike World Cups from 2014–2016. After seven years of Active Duty, she shifted her focus to the science of performance, earning a B.S. in Kinesiology and Exercise Science and a Master’s in Kinesiology (Exercise Physiology) from James Madison University.

Her graduate work examined how dietary nitrate affects cycling performance in simulated altitude, and she continues to explore topics like athlete burnout and the impact of chronic training. On the bike, she’s earned numerous wins and podiums across MTB XC and marathon, cyclocross, and road racing. In coaching, she brings that same curiosity and enthusiasm—designing fun, challenging, and science-based training to help athletes reach and exceed their goals.