Redemption for a cancer hater
Donation protected
UPDATE: I've raised the goal to $6900. This is $10/minute for my Ironman goal time for this race. To those who have supported, THANK YOU. To those still waiting-There's no time like the present!
To keep it short and sweet, I have chosen to race another ironman, in Louisville, KY on Sunday, August 24th. In truth, I spent most of my funds, time, and resources training for the last ironman (Boulder, August 3rd, 2014) and cannot immediately justify the cost of registering for another, however, I'm not finished. I would like to raise money, not only for my race registration but also for pancreatic cancer awareness and research. I have close friends and relatives personally affected by this disease, and while I have the passion and energy to raise funds, I want to do it to benefit others as well. $0.75 of EVERY dollar will be donated to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (www.pancan.org). UPDATE: 100% of the money being donated now will go directly to the PANCAN.
I realize that IM Louisville is now 6 days away and that the amount I'm requesting seems lofty for such a short window. I've reached my initial goal of $3,000, and I will be shaving my head on Saturday, August 23rd! However, while the campaign is open, I'd like to pose the next few incentives... My dad will shave his head at $4000, and at $5000 I will get a tattoo on my scalp!
The longer story...
For those of you who patiently tracked me in my last ironman, it may have been clear that finishing the last race was a struggle, a mental struggle, due to improper race planning. I urge you to read on please.
2.4mi swim, 112mi bike, 26.2mi run. Ironman is more than just a race. It's more than a whim, and far more than a dream. Ironman, to me, is the perseverance against all odds to find the limits which constrain your body, your mind, and your heart- and to destroy them. It's creating your reality, one challenging step at a time, and continually rediscovering your strengths, weaknesses, and personal resiliency. I love the journey more than the destination.
I grew up as a chubby child often taking many insults for my weight and appearance. When I was 12 years old, I was informed I had high cholesterol, and though it was hereditary, I had a need to alter my lifestyle. The rest is history. From swimming to rowing, and sprint to long course, Ironman evolved for me as a natural progression of that desire to rediscover my human potential and fight a genetic disadvantage.
Last October I underwent surgery on both legs to correct a chronic syndrome in my shins (chronic exertional compartment syndrome) stemming from and preventing me from continuing endurance sports. Knowing I had an ironman on the horizon, I carefully trained around my injuries putting in extensive indoor running workouts in the pool and on the elliptical. Countless hours of ice, rest, back tracking, and slow running later, I was somehow still on par with training. August came sooner than I realized, and a race I had trained for for 9 months, worked towards for 5 years, and dreamt about for 15 years, had finally materialized and all I could seem to do was cave under the heavy expectations I had set for myself.
It's not every day you have a second chance to redeem yourself. The reason I am choosing to sign up for IM Louisville is to prove to myself that I don't quit. That I can persevere against all injuries. That I can pick my head up in the final miles and find that strength within the impossible to come out on top. That I can welcome the support and encouragement of others and turn positivity into speed. IM Louisville is my second chance to validate the last 9 months of ironman training, the last 5 years of long course adaptation, the last 9 years of triathlon, and mostly the last 15 years of my re-dedication to fitness and a healthy lifestyle.
The obstacles and set backs give us opportunities to test our strength. Please help me to race, while threefold supporting those who are faced with much greater obstacles. Video footage of the head shaving will be posted should we reach a goal of $3000! And after the campaign closes (midnight on August 24th), following gofundme fees, 75% of all donations will be donated to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network! In addition, once 25% of the funding has covered my registration fee ($660), 100% of all funds raised will go directly to the pancan!
To keep it short and sweet, I have chosen to race another ironman, in Louisville, KY on Sunday, August 24th. In truth, I spent most of my funds, time, and resources training for the last ironman (Boulder, August 3rd, 2014) and cannot immediately justify the cost of registering for another, however, I'm not finished. I would like to raise money, not only for my race registration but also for pancreatic cancer awareness and research. I have close friends and relatives personally affected by this disease, and while I have the passion and energy to raise funds, I want to do it to benefit others as well. $0.75 of EVERY dollar will be donated to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (www.pancan.org). UPDATE: 100% of the money being donated now will go directly to the PANCAN.
I realize that IM Louisville is now 6 days away and that the amount I'm requesting seems lofty for such a short window. I've reached my initial goal of $3,000, and I will be shaving my head on Saturday, August 23rd! However, while the campaign is open, I'd like to pose the next few incentives... My dad will shave his head at $4000, and at $5000 I will get a tattoo on my scalp!
The longer story...
For those of you who patiently tracked me in my last ironman, it may have been clear that finishing the last race was a struggle, a mental struggle, due to improper race planning. I urge you to read on please.
2.4mi swim, 112mi bike, 26.2mi run. Ironman is more than just a race. It's more than a whim, and far more than a dream. Ironman, to me, is the perseverance against all odds to find the limits which constrain your body, your mind, and your heart- and to destroy them. It's creating your reality, one challenging step at a time, and continually rediscovering your strengths, weaknesses, and personal resiliency. I love the journey more than the destination.
I grew up as a chubby child often taking many insults for my weight and appearance. When I was 12 years old, I was informed I had high cholesterol, and though it was hereditary, I had a need to alter my lifestyle. The rest is history. From swimming to rowing, and sprint to long course, Ironman evolved for me as a natural progression of that desire to rediscover my human potential and fight a genetic disadvantage.
Last October I underwent surgery on both legs to correct a chronic syndrome in my shins (chronic exertional compartment syndrome) stemming from and preventing me from continuing endurance sports. Knowing I had an ironman on the horizon, I carefully trained around my injuries putting in extensive indoor running workouts in the pool and on the elliptical. Countless hours of ice, rest, back tracking, and slow running later, I was somehow still on par with training. August came sooner than I realized, and a race I had trained for for 9 months, worked towards for 5 years, and dreamt about for 15 years, had finally materialized and all I could seem to do was cave under the heavy expectations I had set for myself.
It's not every day you have a second chance to redeem yourself. The reason I am choosing to sign up for IM Louisville is to prove to myself that I don't quit. That I can persevere against all injuries. That I can pick my head up in the final miles and find that strength within the impossible to come out on top. That I can welcome the support and encouragement of others and turn positivity into speed. IM Louisville is my second chance to validate the last 9 months of ironman training, the last 5 years of long course adaptation, the last 9 years of triathlon, and mostly the last 15 years of my re-dedication to fitness and a healthy lifestyle.
The obstacles and set backs give us opportunities to test our strength. Please help me to race, while threefold supporting those who are faced with much greater obstacles. Video footage of the head shaving will be posted should we reach a goal of $3000! And after the campaign closes (midnight on August 24th), following gofundme fees, 75% of all donations will be donated to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network! In addition, once 25% of the funding has covered my registration fee ($660), 100% of all funds raised will go directly to the pancan!
Organizer
Candida Crasto
Organizer
