Flippers are my friends. Okay, it is mostly a one-way relationship in the fact that I use them and they help me swim better and easier. Since the first day I waded in to the pool at my YMCA to begin my swim training, I used flippers for my drills and swimming attempts. The purpose of using flippers is to provide greater stability and balance which allows the swimmer to focus on different aspects of their stroke. This helps to improve or embed great technique in the swimmer.

This week my “friends” and I parted ways. (Meanwhile, I’m still trying to find the fine print in the Ironman rule book that will allow me to use flippers in the race.) This was not a time that I was looking forward to, but I knew it was coming. I now only use the flippers for a few laps per practice if I need to check my form or reinforce something my coach has asked me to tweak. While I’m learning to swim more balanced, the transition has been difficult with many mouthfuls of water and mental challenges.

Many of the children, families and refugees that Feeding The Nations helps are also trying to find a new stable life. Immense change has impacted their lives in the worst of ways. Please join me in being a friend to these people as they are struggling to find a balance in the greatest of challenges. Donate today to provide food and hope where it is needed most.

Simply click the button below and choose “#TRI2FEED Ironman Triathlon.”

Donate
Or, text your donation. Text the dollar amount you wish to give to 28950 and designate “ftnkids.” You’ll then be prompted to provide your credit card and contact information.

Whether you were 6 or 26, eventually you had to learn to ride your bike without training wheels. It is always a monumental day of growing up in a young kid’s life—time of excitement, apprehension and a rite of passage. Training wheels have a multi-faceted purpose: balance, added security and they can help to grow leg strength. All of these things are what a young biker needs to succeed.

For a swimmer, “training wheels” are fins. They help to develop good balance, offer a sense of security and they can be used to build strength. Recently I heard some dreaded words from my swim coach, “Let’s take the fins off and see how you do.” I knew this day was coming and knew that if I want to be an Ironman, I need to get past this time of transition to no fins.

A lot of times when kids take their training wheels off, it is inevitable that they fall, get some scrapes and maybe some bruises. Well for me, it was a mouth and sinus full of water and the feeling that I was back at day 1 for my swimming. Eventually I started breathing air instead of water after making some adjustments to my alignment. What a relief! Jokingly my coach said, “Look, you can swim.” Ironman 70.3 triathlon, here I come! Well, it’s a good thing I still have 17 weeks to hone my skills and build endurance.

As you follow my training and trials, please consider joining me in the goal of feeding 685 kids with 2 meals a day for a year. It seems like a big number, but together we can do it. I leave you with this challenge from Mother Teresa, “If you can’t feed 100 people then just feed 1.” Do it today!

Simply click the button below and choose “#TRI2FEED Ironman Triathlon.”

Donate
Or, text your donation. Text the dollar amount you wish to give to 28950 and designate “ftnkids.” You’ll then be prompted to provide your credit card and contact information.

My iPhone alarm rings at 5:20 a.m. and after hitting snooze with my eyes closed, I hear the sound of rain on the roof. Eight minutes later the alarm goes off again and my feet swing out of bed.

Despite the 40 degrees and constant rain, I am excited to jump in the car and get going for the day! For the first time in a month, I get to dive back into the pool and continue with my swim training. When I arrive, the pool is empty and the only sound is the water being recycled through the filter. I have no coach with me today, but Scott the lifeguard gives me a wave as I pick up my flippers and kick-board to work on some drills.

Training on your own isn’t much fun sometimes, but it can be productive. The Michael Phelps ad for Under Armour states, “It’s what you do in the dark that puts you in the light.”

Are you willing to pursue your goals or your dreams when no one else is around? Do you keep going even when there is no one else to cheer you on or care that you are struggling? I hope that today you take the challenge to become better at whatever you are pursuing in life or change whatever you feel is holding you back.

Swimming today was worth the early morning, the pouring rain and the challenge of doing something that I have never been able to do. Not only am I that much closer to being able to swim 1.2 miles, but I am that much closer to attaining the goal of feeding hungry and orphaned kids around the world. I hope you will join me today as together we can raise $20,000.00 to change their lives!

Simply click the button below and choose “#TRI2FEED Ironman Triathlon.”

Donate
Or, text your donation. Text the dollar amount you wish to give to 28950 and designate “ftnkids.” You’ll then be prompted to provide your credit card and contact information.

My son loves his blankets and stuffed animals. They travel with us wherever we go. They bring him a sense of security and familiarity. I think we all want that. Whether we were partial to blankets, stuffed animals or a favorite article of clothing, we all experienced something that eased our worries or brought us a sense of security as kids. Now as adults, we still have security blankets. Our security blankets just fit in the palm of our hands: our smartphones. Or maybe your security is your home, your job, something that is constant, something that you can look to for comfort.

But not everyone has that sort of security. Refugees are among this group. They had to flee their home country, leaving everything.

The refugee situation right now in Iraq is staggering. It is quickly becoming one of the fastest growing refugee populations in the world. Something I love about Feeding The Nations and our partners is that we don’t stop with just giving out food. Whatever the current need is, we try to meet it. In Iraq right now, we are feeding women, children and other refugees who have fled from ISIS. In the refugee camps, children don’t experience much fun or security, but our partner Global Samaritan Resources hopes to change that sad fact. Together we are bringing in not only the food, but 309 stuffed animals and 50 rugged soccer balls!

Will this end the conflict or restore the life they once knew? Of course not. But it will bring many children something to squeeze when they are scared or a toy to use for a moment of play with their friends.

For me, this is more than enough reason to tackle an Ironman 70.3 triathlon in the hopes of raising $20,000.00. Please join me today in meeting this goal of filling bellies, creating smiles and helping to make a moment of fun in a child’s life. Simply click the button below and choose “#TRI2FEED Ironman Triathlon.”

Donate
Or, text your donation. Text the dollar amount you wish to give to 28950 and designate “ftnkids.” You’ll then be prompted to provide your credit card and contact information.