Therese Iknoian

Trained as a news journalist, I spent a decade as a daily newspaper reporter where I earned a Pulitzer Prize as part of a news team at the San Jose (Calif.) Mercury News. I then turned to a focus on health/fitness/sports journalism and a series of related books after earning a MS in exercise physiology. I then co-owned and ran a news business focusing on the outdoor & fitness industries, editing and assigning all stories online, plus in our quarterly magazine and in the trade show daily magazine, as well as wrote investigative pieces on trends, business, retail and product. Today, I focus on prize-winning journalist’s research and writing combined with award-winning photography, with a focus on travel and story-telling about places all around the world. I also work with destinations and agencies to supply photography and have worked with content marketing agencies and brands to supply content.

In 2024, I was named Photographer of the Year by the North American Travel Journalists Association.

Fluent in German, I also run a translation business, with a focus on sports, outdoor and consumer products, plus retail and travel/tourism. With my MS, I have developed training programs and taught for global sports brands, coached junior track athletes, have a USATF Level II coach certification, finished the Western States 100 mile trail run, and was a nationally ranked racewalker. 

Much of my writing appears on a blog (HI Travel Tales) I run with my husband, while I continue freelancing when inspired in the fields of travel, health/wellness, food, wine, adventure, and culture — and whatever piques my curiousity. My profile is available on MuckRack; my photos can be seen at ThereseIknoian.com; and my Instagram accounts are @ThereseIknoian and @HITravelTales. My base is in the greater Sacramento area of California, and in Berlin, Germany.