Chasing Rainbows

***UPDATE: Dear all, as I’m about to step out for a full day of fun, I wanted to thank all of you who contributed to the cause. It really means a lot! I’ve had an emotional morning getting race ready in my best friend’s clothing and gear (I guess the hardest part is done). I’m secretly hoping for a final push on the fundraiser today and I’ll see if I can somehow get live updates on the race track. 

For those who want to track me on the course, IRONMAN has an app that can be downloaded, search for IRONMAN Lake Placid and then my name or bib number (Brinkmann, 925). I just hope it’s not the only activity you do today as this can take 12-14 hours, which would mean your day would be more excruciating than mine…***

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I want to share a personal story to frame the context for my fundraising efforts. There are only a few days that have changed my life as significantly as the 8th of April 2020. About a month earlier, I - together with my best friend - had returned to London from a two-week training camp on the island of Lanzarote, Spain. Shortly after, COVID sent us into lockdown. For many of us, solitude can be challenging, especially if we energise through in-person, social connections. Unfortunately, the forced solitude as a result of the lockdown must have intensified a feeling of loneliness and disconnect in my best friend. Unfortunately, we will never know. Despite seeing him in person a few times, his struggles were (almost) impossible to discover. On the evening of the 8th of April 2020, he unexpectedly took his life.

While this is a personal story, it isn't really about me. First and foremost, it is about my best friend, who faced seemingly insurmountable difficulties that led him to the decision that ended his life. It is about his family (his parents and sibling), whose lives were forever changed by this devasting event. It is about those close friends of his who discovered him and provided first aid. It is about his close friends who - as a last service - travelled to (or across) London to help clear out his rental apartment. It is about the friends whose lives he has fortified and changed over the years. Those who will forever keep him in their hearts, remembering his incredible charm, contagious positivity, and care towards others. At the same time, it is about the emergency staff that was called to resuscitate him and the policemen and women on duty that evening. No one should be an afterthought.

I was fortunate enough to share many memories with my best friend. A passion for sports, and in particular triathlon, united us. I have the honour to race in his wetsuit, his (very tight) tri-suite and on his triathlon bike, a bike he had bought ~6-8 weeks before his passing. To raise awareness about and money for those affected by (male) suicide, I will race IRONMAN Lake Placid on 24th July 2022. More importantly, however, I am chasing a dream. That dream is to, one day, qualify for and race his bike in the IRONMAN World Championships in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. Before you ask, I am not even close to achieving it (yet). I am carrying a lot of excess weight and I blame it to my MBA and an affinity for copious amounts of food (a lethal combination) - just how good is Artichoke pizza? :-)

Be that as it may, at this stage in my journey I will take all the support I can get for my race in Lake Placid and future races. In Lake Placid the simple goal is to finish. I kept reasonably fit during the past two years and really only had five focused weeks to prepare for the race. A rising tide of donations would help to move me forward. In any case, you can contribute in two ways:

1. Donate money through this fundraiser (read on for charity details) and/or

2. Get in touch with your best friend and check in with them (maybe even share this link).

My chosen charity is The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). It is dedicated to saving lives and bringing hope to those affected by suicide.

FAQ

Is the bike in the picture his?

Yes. It's a 2020 Canyon Speedmax. Beautiful, huh? If you look closely, you'll even find a small rainbow on it.

Why is the donation goal $14,060?

The higher the amount, the better. The donation goal is somewhat arbitrary, and the number is related to the distance of 140.6 miles that I will be racing on 24th July 2022. An IRONMAN entails:

Why is this fundraiser called Chasing Rainbows?

We went through a stressful ~2 weeks of repatriating my best friend from the UK to Germany. On the day of his funeral, several of his friends saw the most mesmerizing rainbows in various shapes and locations (incl. London). While my beliefs are generally rooted in science, in this case, I believe he sent us a "Thank You" for looking after him. Since then, I am "chasing rainbows" to be reminded of the the great memories I shared with him.

For some of you the 24th of July sounds familiar. Wasn't there something else?

Yes, and it's a significant date for me. It's my girlfriends birthday. A huge Thank You to her for supporting my cause and allowing me to race on her birthday.