About Me

“The fear of becoming a ‘has-been’ keeps some people from becoming anything.” – Eric Hoffer, 1902-1983, American Social Writer

So just who is Tammy Kaufman, also known as Spydersmom (the recreational athlete and animal advocate) and Izdihaar (the amateur musician and dancer)? Well, really just an ordinary woman with an extraordinary willingness to let my imperfections shine in public and an unrelenting desire to follow my dreams. Of course I must express my eternal gratitude to my wonderful husband, my furbabies and my friends for always being there, and encouraging me to live a life that I would never have imagined possible.

My ultimate goal in life is to be as good a person as my dog, Spyder, always believed I was. He was not only my dog and my buddy, but was also the namesake of my website and the reason behind my deep passion for animal advocacy. One look into his trusting eyes, and I understood the great responsibility we humans have to protect and care for the animals who share this earth with us. I said goodbye to my precious Spyder just after midnight on October 30, 2010 when he lost his battle with bone cancer, so this site is dedicated in his loving memory. His pawprints are forever on my heart.

“Auschwitz begins whenever someone looks at a slaughterhouse and thinks: They’re only animals.” — Theodor Adorno

Go Back to Main Page

CONTACT ME

CYCLING HIGHLIGHTS
-Have been actively involved in the construction and ongoing maintenance of several local and regional mountain bike trail systems, including those at Wolf Laurel, Wintergreen, New Light WRC, Harris Lake County Park, Lake Crabtree County Park, Clayton’s Legend Park, Little River Park, and Beaverdam State Recreational Area
-Published in the #71 issue of Dirt Rag Magazine (pages 23-34), in the #85 issue of Dirt Rag Magazine (page 21), and in the #111 issue of Dirt Rag Magazine
-Featured in 2 articles in the local mountain bike club newsletter, NC FATS “Fat Trax”
-Featured racer on mbcx.com
-Member of multiple bike trail advocacy organizations including the North Raleigh Mountain Bike Association and North Carolina Fats
-Won the Overall Cane Creek Series for Sport Women Downhill 2002
-Won the Overall MADHRA (Mid-Atlantic Downhill Race Association) Series for Sport Women Downhill 2002
-Won the Overall MADHRA (Mid-Atlantic Downhill Race Association) Series for Sport Women Downhill 2003
-Have successfully completed more than 10 solo 24-hour mountain bike races and more than 10 solo 12-hour mountain bike races, along with multiple solo and duo 6-hour races and multiple duo and team 12 and 24-hour races
-Interviewed by the local newspaper, Raleigh News & Observer, regarding a Beginner Women’s Ride Series I organized, 3/7/2003
-Interviewed by the Wall Street Journal 3/14/2003 regarding mountain bike racing
-Interviewed by a Virginia newspaper, Daily News Leader, regarding the Timber Rattler Downhill Race, 7/30/2003
-Spotlight Athlete in Endurance Magazine 10/2003
-Have had full length articles published in the 12/2003, 5/2004, 6/2004, 8/2004 and 11/2004 issues of Endurance Magazine
-Qualified for the 2003 World Solo 24 Hour Championships
-Named to the 2003 United States Masters Mountain Bike World Championship Team
-Winner of the mtbchick.com Flower Power Award for Overall Best Amateur Mountain Biker of 2003
-Interviewed by a local newspaper, Winston Salem Journal, regarding the Burn 24 Hour Challenge Race, 5/28/2004
-Qualified for the 2004 World Solo 24 Hour Championships
-Won 1st Place in the NORBA Nationals Overall Series for Women 40+ Marathon 2004
-Placed 4th in the NORBA Nationals Overall Series for Women 40+ Super Downhill 2004
-Interviewed by a local newspaper, Durham Herald-Sun, regarding bicycle racing, 10/26/2004
-Interviewed by Tyler Benedict of Source Drinks at the Burn 24 Hour Mountain Bike Challenge, 5/29/2005

COMPETITIVE SHOOTING HIGHLIGHTS
-NC State IDPA Championship, 9^th Place Stock Service Pistol Marksman, 5/8/2010
-Carolina Cup IDPA Championship, 1^st Place Stock Service Revolver Novice, 6/19/2010
-Ruger Rimfire Series U.S. East Coast Championship, High Lady, 7/25/2010
-U.S. East Coast IDPA Championship, 1^st Place Stock Service Revolver Novice, 8/7/2010
-NC State IDPA Championship, 2^nd Place Stock Service Revolver Marksman, 5/7/2011
-Carolina Cup IDPA Championship, 2^nd Place Stock Service Revolver Marksman, 6/18/2011
-NC State Ironman IDPA Championship, 5^th Place Stock Service Revolver Sharpshooter, 2/11/2012
-Have had full length articles published in Volume 15 Issue 1 and Volume 16 Issue 1 of the IDPA Tactical Journal

TENNIS HIGHLIGHTS
-Advanced to USTA/Southern, Cary League  2.5 Women’s Playoffs, Doubles Team, 6/2007

DANCE HIGHLIGHTS
-Interviewed by a local newspaper, The Wake Weekly, about my experiences as a dance student, October 21, 2004
-First public dance performance at the Belly Revelations Student Hafla, performed as a veil duo to Isis, November 13, 2004 at Triangle Dance Studio
-One of the participating dancers in the second video in the instructional dance series produced by Qadria and Belly Revelations, “Bellydance Moves and Combinations Anyone Can Do”

Most importantly, I adore my husband Steve and our precious furbabies, with whom I am fortunate enough to be able to share my life and my love.

“The indifference, callousness and contempt that so many people exhibit toward animals is evil first because it results in great suffering in animals, and second because it results in an incalculably great impoverishment of the human spirit.” ~Ashley Montague

Go Back to Main Page