Introduction
This page explains factually and transparently why the AchillesWorkouts.com platform is not available for athletes, guides, or staff. It is intended as an open letter to the Achilles International community—particularly in New York City (NYC)—and to any volunteers, donors, or athletes who want to understand why a system designed to improve their experience was abandoned despite months of development, testing, and volunteer input.
My aim here is not to attack anyone personally, but to document in detail what happened, why I chose to stop, and why these issues reveal a broader, systemic communication problem inside Achilles International that deserves scrutiny.
About Me
My name is Gareth Redfern-Shaw. I’m a systems consultant and technologist with over 25 years of experience in enterprise IT, business process redesign, and software development. I’ve worked with organizations like Standard & Poor’s (S&P), GMHC, LP Energy, and REV Renewables to solve operational problems, restructure teams, build and commission software, and deliver scalable solutions tailored to their needs.
I’m also a certified RRCA Level 1 run coach, qualified advanced motorcycle instructor, and former member of the England Taekwondo team. I’ve volunteered with Achilles as a guide, tandem pilot, and race photographer, investing my time and skills freely to help make the athlete and volunteer experience better. My LinkedIn profile offers a fuller picture of my credentials.
The Problem Achilles Was Facing
Rosterfy is the system Achilles International NYC uses to manage athlete and guide registration, pairings, and events. It is widely regarded among volunteers as clunky, hard to use, and inadequate for the nuanced needs of pairing athletes with guides. It has no built-in maintenance tracking for bikes or handcycles, limited pairing logic, and poor support for last-minute check-in/out management.
Achilles staff and volunteers repeatedly voiced frustration about:
- Manual, time-consuming pairing processes that waste hours each week
- Confusing or missing event communication
- No reliable system for check-in/out or equipment tracking
- Lack of integration with training tools like Strava
- The overall burden on a small, overstretched staff team
The Solution I Built (Entirely for Free)
Seeing this need, I devoted two months full-time (9–5 and often more) to design, build, and test a new system called AchillesWorkouts.com. This system was specifically designed to work alongside Rosterfy—not replace it.
Key features included:
- AI-powered athlete–guide pairing with customizable criteria
- Equipment inventory and maintenance tracking with QR-coded check-in/out
- Workout scheduling with weather-aware locations and preferences
- Admin tools for real-time event check-in/out
- Planned Strava integration for tracking athlete training progress
- Role-based access control (RBAC) and multi-language support
My Requests to Achilles Leadership
I made it clear in writing and in person that I did not need their staff time. All I needed was authorization: a Google Doc, admin rights on Rosterfy, an API key. I sent repeated, detailed status emails and even offered to build to their exact specifications while maintaining full documentation. These requests were consistently ignored.
Rich Herman’s Role (Chief of Staff)
Rich Herman, Chief of Staff (rherman@achillesinternational.org), was the key point of contact. He initially expressed enthusiasm and gave verbal support, but consistently:
- Ignored detailed update emails and access requests
- Failed to follow through on promised meetings or approvals
- Stopped replying altogether for weeks and months
- Asked for new features (like Strava integration) then ignored implementation steps
Emily Glasser’s Response (CEO)
Emily Glasser (eglasser@achillesinternational.org), the CEO, responded only after months of silence and at the urging of other staff and board members. Her final reply acknowledged staff are overstretched but framed that as the reason they couldn’t pursue the project. But my work was specifically designed to reduce their workload and improve efficiency. I didn’t need their time. I needed a single authorization.
The Broader Issue: A Culture of Silence and Avoidance
I’m not the only volunteer who experienced these issues. Many guides, athletes, and staff have privately shared the same frustrations: ignored messages, last-minute asks, poor planning, and fear of being left out if they spoke up. This culture of silence actively damages the mission and pushes away those willing to help solve real problems.
Why I Stepped Away
I didn’t leave because the project failed. The system works. Volunteers and athletes who saw it were excited. I left because Achilles leadership refused to even acknowledge it. My time—and the time of everyone who offered feedback, reviewed prototypes, and shared their needs—was wasted.
What This Means for Achilles
Ignoring volunteers and refusing to deal with hard truths is not sustainable. It leads to volunteer burnout, missed opportunities for funding, wasted staff time, and, ultimately, a diminished experience for the athletes Achilles claims to serve. This page is not about assigning blame to individuals—it is about demanding better leadership and accountability for the good of the mission itself.
Closing Thoughts
This may be uncomfortable to read, but it's necessary. My door remains open. My documentation is thorough. My willingness to help remains—if there is genuine interest in change. Until then, AchillesWorkouts.com will stay offline. Not because it couldn’t work, but because those entrusted with making decisions refused to even reply to an email.