Special Olympics Massachusetts, Inc.

Last weekend, I completed the final & most important step in my quest to become an Ironman-- it was, by far, the best part of my 140.6 mile journey. Thanks to many of you, I was able to raise just over $9K for Kevin & Special Olympics. Kevin will use the funds to support his athletic interests and to attend a Boston Celtics game with his family. Thank you to all who supported us!


Hello all, 

I did it! I am an IRONMAN!! I wanted to share this photo as I approached the finish line after 13+ hrs. The race was everything I'd hoped it would be-- fun, inspiring, challenging, gratifying and so much more. In a way, I'm sad it's over. 

With all of that said, WOW-- I am at 86% of my goal as of today-- and will keep fundraising until Sept 1..

Thank you, Thank you for your incredible generosity. 

Jeff

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(Update from Mont Tremblant 8/16):

Good morning all,

Wanted to share this sunrise photo over Mont Tremblant from this morning. With less than 48 hrs to go until race day, I am 65% of my fundraising goal. Thank you, thank you to the 39 people who have generously donated-- I can't wait to present Kevin & Jacob with your kind donations. If you're still considering supporting us, THANK YOU-- just click on the link below. Next time you hear from me will be post race-- Can't wait!

https://www.gofundme.com/f/my-ironman

Jeff

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(UPDATE 8/12):

Hey everyone, 

Hope this email finds you well. I wanted to provide an update with six days to go for IMMT. First, a huge, heartfelt 'thank you' to all that have donated thus far-- I'm blown away by your generosity-- THANK YOU. I am just over 25% of my goal-- let's do this for these two incredible Special Olympians! 

As for continued prep-- I had an incredible (last) training ride this weekend with my oldest brother Jim. We were in New Hampshire and could not get enough of the open mountain roads-- using the historic Mount Washington Hotel as our turnaround point. Jim is training for his own personal challenge-- summiting seven peaks on seven continents--- (he's 4-for-4 so far!). His journey had a direct impact on me and truly inspired me to find this challenge (thanks bro).

My family and I leave Thursday for Canada-- I'm ready and can't wait to hit that chilly mountain lake water around 7am Sunday -- You can track me by downloading IRONMAN TRACKER for free. 

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for considering a donation to support Kevin & Jacob.

Cheers,
Jeff

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Dear friends,

Many of you know that in a little less than a week I will be competing in my first Ironman race in Mont-Tremblant, Quebec. I've spent countless hours and have logged hundreds of training miles over the last five months. I typically train before most are awake, starting at 4:30am each day. I do that to minimize time away from my family-- but this can still be seen as a selfish, time-consuming sport given the hours of preparation it takes to get across the finish line. So with that said, before I get to Ironman Mont-Tremblant on August 18, I wanted to do something unselfish. I have set up my own small charity through GoFundMe to raise money for a couple of other athletes I met a few months ago while volunteering at a tennis camp for Northeast Arc & Special Olympics. These incredible athletes are Kevin Lennox and Jacob Yellin. I worked 1:1 with Kevin for over an hour-- on the simple task of connecting the racquet with the ball. The look on his face each time he was successful still sticks with me. Jacob on the other hand went on to win the Bronze Medal at the Special Olympics Massachusetts State Tennis Championships this past June. 

Each of them remind me how fortunate I am to have the ability to swim, bike and run every day on my own terms-- and therefore, I want to help them. As Jacob advances to National competition in Special Olympics, the athletes require travel and expense funds. Kevin's family would love to take him to see his favorite local Boston sports teams-- the Patriots, Bruins, Celtics & Red Sox. With your help, and my 140.6 miles, we can make a small, meaningful impact in their lives. 

Thank you for considering a donation to Northeast Arc/Special Olympics MA and specifically to assist with Kevin & Jacob. No donation is too small.

Jeff

"Everything is possible, if you never give up" --Chris Martin, Coldplay, Up&Up, Live in Buenos Aires