Israel AntonioRegarding Sugar Land C5K and Andy's 30K
I just wanted to jump on the gratitude train Annie is conducting here to say thank you to all who made this weekend a special one for all of us lucky enough to be present. Everywhere C Different goes, people say the blind and visually impaired athletes are inspirational and so brave. Yet, I believe what is often lost in the shuffle is that few of these blind/visually impaired athletes could ever accomplish anything without a community of volunteers and supporters. Those of you such as guides, donors, volunteers, and organizers who work tirelessly to make the blind athletes' job much easier are often living in the shadows of these amazing athletes but should be recognized for the amazing investment of time and energy you put forth!!
I have been lucky enough to participate in several CDF events over the last two years and I often hear strangers at these events or along the race course say how we, the CDF athletes are heros. Maybe we are. That is not my place to say, but what I can say is that I would have never run a half marathon, done the NYC Ti, or the 5K and 30K this weekend if not for the guides, volunteers, and especially, Matt Miller! He is the truly brave one! He had a vision/goal and he took a chance on himself and created more than an organization which inspires, educates, and changes. He has created second chances at lives. He has created more than guide/athlete couplings. He has created a family! A family of individuals with a passion of life, of dreams, and of pushing to greater heights! Not just in the water, on a bike, or on the run course, but in life! Finishing times, turnout, and money raised measures the success of the weekend but the bonds created, connections achieved, and memories of a lifetime during the socializing moments define this weekend. While the world stands in awe of all these athletes, I stand praising the man without whom this CDF family would not exist. We may have our individual dreams, but under the C Different Foundation umbrella, we are living Matt's dream. Together, as one entity we are inspiring, educating, and changing the world!!
Sexy Isra AKA Sugar Land Julio :)
Israel Antonio
www.sexyisra.blogspot.com (773) 588-6059
Chester TriplettRegarding Sugar Land C5K and Andy's 30K
Richard,
Forgive me that those details I mentioned are late arriving. I hope you're doing well. Also, I hope the weather in Sacramento is much more favorable than Mooresville this evening. it's cold with sleet and some snow mixed. Not good weather for training. I had a good week though considering I was half recovering half training. I didn't do any running this week of course because my right foot is still sore from the 30K beast. I tell ya, last weekend was simply amazing. I was so impressed with the overall sense of community, comradery, and athleticism that I've pretty well decided on graduate school at Stephen F. Austin State. SFAU offers the orientation and mobility Master's Degree. I like the idea of being close to Sugar Land and all the friends I made last weekend. It's seemingly an awesome area for athletic events Now to the run details. The 5K was no problem. Basically a sprint the entire way. With more training though hell I could be much faster. Honestly, I think running in the 17s and 18s might be possible. Or faster. Who knows. The thing is, cycling is my baby but I was very impressed with the comradery I found within the running community during this event. Based on my experience, the cycling community comparatively is seemingly much more competitive and aggressive. I must admit though, I've met some really cool people at cycling events as well. Of course, my Stargardt's was not much of a factor back then either and has since created an entirely new outlook towards life. Back to the race though. I crashed on Saturday about 200meters from the end. Just small palm scrapes though nothing major. Sunday on the other hand, was a different story. I started hurting way too soon during the 30K. Cardio wise though, I felt awesome. I never fell into the 9min/mile average but I could have kicked it in much more if my legs were more prepared relative to the mere impact they sustain. All that low cadence high resistance training on the spinner didn't help my cause any. I didn't walk though. I only stopped once to utilize the outdoor facility. It was an awesome course and very well organized event though. CDF on Saturday and Andy Stewart and crew on Sunday, all did an outstanding job. I definitley plan to participate in more long distance running events. My big goal however is the Augusta half Ironman next year. This is huge on my calendar. Heck, I've been watching youtube triathlon clips daily it seems. I'm seriously chomping at the bit while eagerly awaiting returning to the saddle. My pilot, Mark Willis out of Charlotte, and I are hitting the road as quick as the weather permits. Hey Richard, do you have any events planned soon? I'm really excited about Augusta next year. well, I'm gonna get going for now. Thank you again for informing me of last weekend's event. Matt Miller and the crew are an awesome group of people. I can't wait until I finally secure the career so I can contribute to CDF. Well, I hope you and your family are doing well Richard. Train hard!
Live Strong,
Chester
Joe PaschallRegarding Sugar Land C5K
Hello Again All,
I concur with Dave on how well this event was run and the enthusiasm exhibited from each individual that participated. I am Athletic Director at Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, and throughout the years have planned many athletic events. Matt's composure and attention to detail was amazing. This intern insured the high level of accomplishment from each of our Athletes. Like Dave, I too would like to remain in the loop, so my e-mail address is JoePaschall@TSBVI.edu . This Summer I am hosting a camp at Texas State University for 40 youth with visual impairments. The last day we plan to hold a mini triathlon. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me. Everyone have a great holiday and 2010 will rock for CDIFFERENT.
God Bless You All,
Joe Paschall
Randall Crosby's Update!
Just an update here. I've begun training with Todd Bogue for the upcoming Ron Jon Triathlon on April 18th and the (big one) Disney Ironman 70.3 (Half Ironman). Then if I survive that I will do the Pineappleman Triathlon in
Also, Angela McFall and Richard Warren will be representing our Team by wearing our shirts tomorrow-Sunday, February 7th at the Music Marathon in
Brent Neeser,His Story
When I was 14 years old, I was diagnosed with macular dystrophy, which was later re-diagnosed to retinal dystrophy. I was very fortunate to have a very slow onset of blindness, and only started to have problems with my eyesight in my mid twenties. By then, I had earned my four year college degree, married my wife, and started my career. I still consider myself fortunate, because I have continued to work and have some, although low, vision.
Before I went blind, I was an avid runner and enjoyed swimming and biking. I had always thought of competing in a triathalon, but time and other priorities crowded out my wish to be a triathalete. One of the painful losses I experienced when I went blind, was not being able to compete in running races as I had before. I really enjoyed going out for a run, and decided I couldn't do it anymore. Instead, I borrowed my cousins's weight bench and weights. I figured if I couldn't run, I'd hit the weights., instead.
Last year I started visiting with one of my co-workers, named Mike Gage. He expressed intrest in triathalons, and training for one with me. At first I didn't think he was being serious. He was serious. We started running, tried using a tandem bike, and swam in a lake, here in Minneapolis. It went really well. Wee signed up for the Lifetime Tri and had a blast. The rest is history.
I owe Mike and Annie, who help me find a bike, so much for their help and encouragement.
I hope to do four tris this summer, and am training for them now.
Brett Colein regards to guiding Dave Bigoney
I first guided for Dave Bigoney in a sprint triathlon in October 2009, and we had a great time. I’m a competitive person when it comes to races, and Dave had to talk me down after we had not one, but two flats on the bike leg, less than a mile from T-2. I was disappointed seeing all Dave’s great effort in the race start to spiral away, but as always his positive attitude (like all the amazing C`Different athletes I have met) overshadowed everything and it was fantastic crossing the finish line next to Dave (who had a PR run segment).
Robin Rueggin regards to guiding Annie Young
I met Annie through my sister Lesley. All of us have trained together with the goal of completing short course triathlons. I am personally on a journey to weight loss, fitness, and improved health, all of which have happened over the past few years. I will take some credit for helping Annie get over her fears in the water and for being the tough coach that will not let her wimp out when she is scared. I have helped Annie Young in her early training, and I guided her on one of her earlier short course triathlons in the swim and on the bike. Annie is younger than me, and as she has trained, she has improved so much that I really cannot keep up with her, except in my strongest event, the swim. So I remain as one of her supporters and cheerleaders while I proudly watch her excel.
My first experience guiding Annie was at the Green Lake Triathlon in Spicer, Minnesota. The weather was terrible when we started the swim—the waves were choppy. Annie was a good swimmer by then, but she easily got spooked. She started off the swim leg of the triathlon very, very well. However, many athletes around us were just about drowning due to the bad conditions. There were jet skis and motorboats surrounding the swimmers, and they threw life vests into the water for the weak swimmers. The jet skis and boats also started surrounding Annie because the event organizers were so worried about her. We smelled those horrible gasoline fumes and I kept waving the boats back—“Go away. She is fine!” I then told Annie to stop crawling and to breast stroke. I had no time to explain what was happening around us, and she was stubbornly disobeying me! I told her to listen and follow my directions as I routed her around the debris of other swimmers, jet skis, boats, and life preservers. Once we cleared that, I told her to “start swimming” the crawl again. She was panicking, but eventually did so and we completed the swim. There were incredible cheers for us as Annie came out of the water—she was a crowd favorite.
We then got on the tandem bike, and Annie pushed me to my fastest bike finish ever! As we biked, I was able to explain to her what had happened on the swim and tell her how proud I was of her for completing it—many athletes had been pulled out of the lake, but not Annie! We completed the bike, and I handed Annie off to a young man name Phil—who had just completed his triathlon, but had agreed to come back and run with Annie as I could not keep up her pace. Phil and Annie completed the run, and were cheering for me at the finish line when I jogged in.
I am so proud of Annie Young and her accomplishments and her leadership in inspiring others to reach for their goals. She has become a dear friend who has inspired me to keep reaching for goals. Thanks Annie!
Sharlene Wills Her story
It was a great weekend, and I was especially pleased that I completed both events, very much because of my guide, Dana.
To fill you in:
I was born blind of glaucoma and cataracts, had numerous surgeries from babyhood until I was 5 to reduce the pressure, and finally had a successful (though only 10 percent so in children at the time) operation at age five that allowed me to retain a modicum of light perception in one eye.
I live in Los Angeles, though I have also lived in Berlin, Germany, and I am nearing retirement after 30 years with the County of Los Angeles, first as a secretary and for over 20 years, now, as a legal transcriber. My actual address is 1027 S. Wooster Street, Los Angeles, CA 90035.
I hope to run the 25th Los Angeles City Marathon in 2010 and to do an ultra (Across the Years, bridgging 2010 to 2011, either as a 24-hour or 48-hour race. To date, I have participated in over 50 marathons and ultra marathons, as well as 4 sprint triathlons and hope to do a lot more biking, including races, in the future. I am also hoping to do the Pike's Peak ascent, which is a half marathon in the next couple of years.
David KuhnHis story
My vision loss is due to an accident with a drunk driver on the evening of November 20, 1981. At that time I owned a small trucking company that included four over-the-road truck-tractors and eight semi-trailers (seven flat beds and one van). I was driving a Mack tractor home from my garage where I had made repairs on it earlier that day. There was an open field near our home in which I often parked my trucks over night.
It had snowed heavily that morning, then turned to rain. However, as night fell, so did the temperature, and it was expected to drop below freezing early that evening.
As I slowly drove along in the right lane of the south bound six lane highway (three lanes in each direction), a Datsun B210 traveling too fast for conditions, passed me in the left lane. About 100 yards in front of me, he caught a snow drift in the left shoulder, spun out to the right then to the left, and spun out one more time again to the right. That placed him right in front of me. There was no place for me to go, so I hit him. The collision blew out my left front tire and I lost control of the truck and ended up crashing into the concrete guard rail I thought he was going to hit earlier in his zigzag approach to me. Our initial impact pushed him clear out of the way.
Although I was only traveling at about 40 miles per hour when he lost control, and less when we collided, the concrete guard rail literally dissected the tractor into its various parts. I was carried by ambulance to the hospital, and he went home uninjured.
To this day I wish him no ill will. And I still find it ironic that he had the advantage. I was in the larger, safer vehicle, and he was in the smaller unsafe vehicle. But, he had been drinking. At least, that is what everyone at the scene of the accident told me. However, the State Trooper did not ticket him for driving under the influence.
The result of the accident was that I ended up with several broken ribs, a concussion and a condition called staphyloma; which is a stretching of the retinas. Initially I noticed only a slight distortion in my central field of vision. And since my ophthalmologist was not worried, and suggested that I only be monitored, I was not worried either. But one year later it was obvious that my eyesight was in decline, and I had to force his hand in telling me what was going on. He sent me to a retinal specialist who ran some tests. Two weeks after the tests I went into his office for the results and was told I was going to go blind. There was nothing that could be done to save my eyesight.
I have been blessed in that my loss of sight has been very slow. And I have had so many wonderful things happen in my life as a direct result of losing my sight, that I am not angry about it. However, I do reserve the right to get angry at some time, when and if it suits me. But for now, I continue to enjoy life as it is.
My right eye is light perception only, and it has to be a very bright light. My left eye I can see shadows and the shapes of some objects if there is enough contrast. And my sight does continue to worsen.
My athletic goals through 2012.
First of all, I want to qualify for the Boston Marathon in 2011.
Second, I want to do a half
