TF7 Ironman Arizona
If you know me you probably know that I take pride in being the best version of myself both mentally and physically on a daily basis. Essentially, that has brought me here. To the idea of taking on what I believe to be one of the most mentally and physically challenging sporting events in the world; The Ironman. For those of you who are unfamiliar with what an Ironman is, it is a Triathlon race that starts off with a 2.4 mile swim, followed by a 112 mile bike, and finishes with a 26.2 mile run. If I am going to ask people for something...which it is not easy for me to do, I want you to truly understand the reason why. So stick with me as I go on this soap box.
Many people may wonder why, with zero experience taking on any type of endurance race, would I think it is a good idea to dive straight into the feat of an Ironman? I could sit here and write pages on all of the reasons I want to but mostly it is to make myself as uncomfortable as I can, while making an effort to give back to some things and people that influence my life daily. To hold myself accountable in the most extreme of cases with the things that I truly believe in and preach to others (especially my student-athletes so shout out to my Pirates for keeping me going) on a daily basis. I wake up every morning grateful for everything that I have in my life—the opportunities, the capabilities, the resources, the people, etc. A lesson I learned from a 16 year old girl my freshmen year of college.
Which brings me here. To Taylor Foster and raising money in her honor to donate to the 9th floor of Brenner's Children Hospital. To not only doing this for myself, but for a person and a cause that is near and dear to my heart as well as many of the most important people in my life’s heart’s. I met Taylor and her family the fall of my freshmen season at Florida State. Taylor was just 16 years old battling with osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer. Up to that point in my life I had never been exposed to a person so young dealing with something so horrible. Yet, every time Taylor was around, her smile and love for life radiated through our team. Taylor loved softball and her dream was to play softball for Florida State University, a reality that I was living. A reality that Taylor could not live personally, so she lived through us. This changed my life forever. Here was a 16 year old girl who just wanted to play softball, as any 16 year old girl should be allowed to do, but she could not because she was battling cancer. Taylor did so with a smile on her face and love in her heart. From that moment on, my perspective on life changed. Every day my teammates and I got to step on the field was a blessing. For the rest of my time in an FSU jersey I wouldn’t take a second of my opportunity for granted. Again, if you know me at all you know that my love for Florida State and my time in the jersey is embedded deep in my soul.
Just a year after adopting Taylor as sister to our program, on April 27, 2014 she lost her battle to Osteosarcoma. So, as I go on this journey, I am going to take Taylor and my Florida State family with me every step I take. Because when things get hard, when I feel like giving in to the fatigue, when I don’t want to get out of bed, when I don’t want to swim another lap or take another step, I will think of Taylor. I will remember that what I am doing and who I am doing it for is much bigger than what I am feeling in that moment. That what I am putting myself through is hard compared to what? Battling cancer at age 16 or any age, at that? No chance. I will remember how devastated my teammates and coaches were when we got the news of Taylor’s passing, as she meant so much to so many people I hold dear to my heart. I will remember that without the lessons that Taylor and playing softball at FSU taught me, I wouldn’t be who I am or where I am today.
With all of that being said, Ironman is not cheap, but I do not want that to be an excuse to put it off until it makes more sense to do financially. Because the time is always now. I don't want to just gain enough sponsorship to get me to the race. I want to go far beyond that. My goal is to raise as much money as possible in Taylor’s honor to give in her name to help young kids battling cancer at the hospital that took care of her on her journey. Lets help get these kids out of the hospital and into a life of making their dreams a reality, something that I was and am so fortunate to do on a daily basis. I cannot do this alone. I need a tribe! Every single dollar donated will mean the absolute world to me. So if $7 (Taylor’s favorite number) is all you can afford, just know that you made a difference in my journey. That you are a reason why I am getting out of bed every morning!!! That you are helping young kids and children battling with this terrible disease, while honoring the beautiful life of Taylor Foster. If you would like to learn more about our story with Taylor I have attached some articles that I encourage you to read to better understand the impact she has on so many amazing people!!
https://www.thetimesnews.com/sports/20180709/inspirational-camp-ncaa-softball-champion-seminoles-embrace-relationships-with-area-family
https://www.tallahassee.com/story/sports/college/fsu/2019/07/06/taylor-foster-florida-state-fsu-softball-lonni-alameda-seven-cancer-seminoles-macey-cheatham/1611527001/
There is no amount of money that I could give that will return the favor for what Taylor and Florida State Softball have given me, but my goal is to raise $5,007 by the time I cross the finish line. If you own a business and would like to donate on behalf of your organization I would be more than happy to promote it in any way that I can through my journey.
I will be competing in Ironman Arizona on November 22, 2020. The money will be going to my entry fee for the race, my airfare, and the rest will be donated to the Pediatric Hematology Oncology Ward at Brenner's Children Hospital. I know this was a lot, but from the bottom of my heart I thank you for your time and your donation!!! I love you all and hope that you too can be inspired to jump outside of your comfort zone, to test what you value, to grow into the ultimate version of yourself, and to give back to the things that have helped you become who you are along the way.