Motivation

The final race instructions from the first Ironman, 1978:

 

"Swim 2.4 miles! Bike 112 miles! Run 26.2 miles! Brag for the rest of your life!” - Navy Commander John Collins

 

 That goes along with the joke of, "How do you tell a triathlete?  You don't; they tell you."

Will finishing Kona give me the opportunity to get a few free beers, tell some tales, and so on?  Sure; it's going to be a great accomplishment.  More than that, though, I hope to raise awareness and a few bucks for La Casa de Fe in Shell, Ecuador.  

When we were in Ecuador, on the edge of the Amazon, we happened upon La Casa de Fe.  We were welcomed in, and I had the most wonderful time just playing with the kids.  Some used me as their personal jungle gym, others just wanted my arm to help them give up their walker for a few minutes and go around the courtyard.  This is an amazing place; Patti Sue, the chief cook and bottle washer, started this orphanage in rural Ecuador several years ago; she currently takes care of 50+ children with no government support.  And with no medical background, she takes care of children with multiple, complex medical conditions that would make most pediatricians nervous; instead of spending their life in a hospital hooked up to machines, these kids are in the fresh air, playing with others, and getting the most out of life.  Her kids know they are loved; they know where their next meal is; they are given an education; they are given a chance when many of them would normally be left to die in the Amazon by their tribe.

Check out the work she does, and help her meet her current needs:

http://lacasadefe.org

I'll be carrying la Casa de Fe in my heart on the hard miles, thinking of that afternoon, and having my legs feel lighter with a smile on my face.