Augusta 70.3 on September 29, 2011

IronTeam Group Picture

17 Hours of Glory

A fellow IronTeam member shared this passage from the first chapter of 17 Hours of Glory. I wanted to share it with everyone as I, and the rest of the IronTeam, undertake our Ironman journey on behalf of lost loved ones and those we are fighting to save.

“As a professional, I feel honored by the average people on the course with me,” said Mark Allen. “Of course, no one who does the Ironman is an average person.” And that is precisely why they do it. It is an occasion for finding out if you have the capacity to be a hero, and it requires the inner strength and physical discipline to be one. And it carries over into the rest of the athletes’ lives. The Ironman has value because it demands value. It cannot be done in one blast of self-destruction or prodigal effort. What sets it apart from bungee jumping or other dares is that it cannot be done on a whim. And it is so hard that you cannot simply do it and risk damaging your body as a cheap price to pay. It demands a long-term physical and mental discipline, a careful accumulation of hard work, and control over the mind and emotions to allocate your energy to the last drop. “The Ironman doesn’t interest the average person.” “He/She thinks this is crazy and doesn’t give it a second thought. It sorts out those people who have something different going on upstairs. It draws people who have something exceptional.”

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Ironman is every person trying to find out what he can do. Swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles, run 26.2 miles…brag for the rest of your life.

Click below to watch a motivational video about Ironman:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bh1yMnrby3w&feature=relmfu

In memory of Holly Price Tobias

3/12/63 – 1/6/03

Racing to Save Lives!!

Welcome to my Team In Training home page.

If you said to yourself “Oh boy, what’s she raising money for now?” you would be right. I am again asking for your help to raise money in the fight against cancer.

Eight years ago I lost my sister Holly to leukemia. In late 2001 Holly was diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML). After her initial chemotherapy the leukemia went into remission. A year later the leukemia returned and Holly was scheduled for a bone marrow transplant. After several months of searching, a perfect match was found and on December 21, 2002 she received a transplant. Unfortunately Holly’s body rejected the bone marrow transplant and on January 6, 2003 she was gone. It was, and remains, heartbreaking to have lost my best friend and only sister to cancer.

It was then I resolved to help fight leukemia and other blood cancers and joined The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training program. I trained for and raced my first triathlon, St. Anthony’s, in St. Petersburg, FL in May 2004. I raced in memory of Holly and pinned a large picture of her to the back of my race singlet. As racers passed me, many would comment or touch my shoulder in sympathy, expressing how proud Holly would be and thanking me for what I was doing. I struggled to hold back the tears and stopped frequently to catch my breath. Crossing the finish line I was overwhelmed with tears of joy and sadness - so happy to have completed my first triathlon and so deeply sad my sister was not there with me.

The experience of losing Holly and working through that difficult time by training and raising money to fight cancer changed the way I live. Over the past 8 years I’ve embraced a healthier, more balanced and active lifestyle. I’ve participated in over 60 different endurance events including running, cycling and triathlons, with many of those events raising money in the fight against blood cancers, breast cancer, multiple sclerosis and diabetes.

I join my Team in Training family again for a new and bigger challenge!! With 54 other Team in Training friends we come together as part of the inaugural “IronTeam Georgia” to train for and race Ironman Arizona on November 20, 2011. Ironman Arizona consists of a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run - a total of 140.6 miles - all completed in less than 17 hours.

This is where I need your help. I am asking you to help me by making a donation to my fundraising campaign. My goal is to raise $10,000! Over the next months I will devote hundreds of hours to running, biking, swimming and fundraising, all with the purpose of raising awareness and money in the fight against cancer. This is your chance to participate in a great cause without having to swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles, and run a marathon after that! Whew, lucky you! Every dollar you give gets me closer to my $10,000 fundraising goal.

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society has been the leading organization in the fight against leukemia and other blood related diseases for over 50 years. Progress made in the diagnosis and treatment of leukemia and other blood-related cancers has led to advances in treating other forms of cancer as well. Through advances in research, the 5 year survival rates for ALL have increased from 4% in 1960 to nearly 87% as of 2008. The Leukemia Society has been rated in the top ten charities in the United Sates by Money magazine. So you can be assured that your tax deductible donation will be used wisely.

IronTeam Georgia’s overall goal is to raise $500,000 in the fight against leukemia. Each donation helps accelerate finding a cure for leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. Currently, over 890,000 people are living with blood cancers. Every 4 minutes, someone is diagnosed with a blood cancer and every 10 minutes someone loses their battle to blood cancer. I am hoping that my participation in Team In Training will help bring hope and support to those that suffer from these terrible diseases.

On behalf of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and the Georgia IronTeam, thank you very much for your support. We greatly appreciate your generosity.

Thank you,

Wendy