Sometimes no matter how beautiful a dream may appear to be in one's imagination, the culmination of that dream exceeds even the most incredible of expectations.
That was the case this past weekend at the Publix Georgia Half Marathon and Luckie 5K. The event was one of my favorite weekends since we launched the Kyle Pease Foundation just a bit more than four years ago. The whole process was just amazing. From the Happy Hour at Gordon Biersch to meeting new athletes and their families the event was beyond our wildest imaginations.
It was incredible to feel the love, the drive and the desire of these athletes to compete with KPF. I could tell right off the bat just how dedicated they were and how their families instantly embraced the mission of KPF. I can't explain how much that means to me.
I have always said the moment I do not have fun is the moment I will walk away from everything. Well based on the way I felt this weekend, I'm not sure that that day will ever come.
The Sunday morning of the race Brent and my day started at 4 AM in the midst of a steady down pour. Once we assembled all the wheelchairs, 22 in all, we loaded all the athletes. We then introduced nearly 70 volunteers to the athletes. We made sure they were all comfortable and safe and led them to the starting line.
Nearly half of the athletes were first timers as were many of the volunteers. Their commitment and their compassion spoke volumes about who they were and about their commitment to KPF.
The Kyle Pease Foundation has always been more about the experience of the athletes than it is about the accomplishments of Brent and I so we opted not to race. It was a bit weird not being on the starting line when the gun sounded but we wanted to be sure that everyone else had a memorable experience.
We had volunteers all over the course and Brent's wife, Erica, and a handful of fans rooted the runners on at the Rally Corner near the half way point of the race. This gave an extra boost to the KPF athletes as they entered the stretch run.
By the end, I was soaking wet but I was beaming ear to ear at the thought of seeing our dream grow to the next level. We understand that we are not there yet but that was the largest group of athletes that the foundation has assembled to this point.
It was a moment that I will always embrace and one that we challenge our foundation members to duplicate and exceed as we strive for continued growth.
Like any KPF race, this weekend wasn't about finish times or PR's but instead about the smiles, the warmth and the everlasting positive impact this had on the lives of the athletes, the volunteers and the many fans who witnessed the race.
We are so proud of you all and thank you so much for doing what you do...
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Brent's Corner: Lifetime Fitness Georgia Publix Marathon holds a special place for us. Of course, each race does, but this was the first race that allowed us to sponsor another athlete. That was in 2012 and since then our participation has grown to 22 athletes!
I cannot thank the race director and organizers enough. They were seamless to work with and accommodated nearly every request that we had.
I cannot thank the race director and organizers enough. They were seamless to work with and accommodated nearly every request that we had.
The message of inclusion was felt by nearly every one of the race participants as we had so much road covered that everyone from the front to the back had a chance to witness what we were doing.
That 2012 race is still special because of who we met that day. Jake Vinson, our first athlete, took to the road with us that weekend and helped grow this race into 22 strong. Without Jake and his mom, Amy, it is hard to say if we would be where we are today.
Jake is no longer with us, but we hope to carry on his name and recognize what he meant to us as friends, as athletes and as a foundation. Together, with Jake's parents, Scott and Amy, we have started the Jake Vinson Family Grant. This grant is open to applicants of any age and of any need.
We hope that a gift such as a chair, a scholarship or any need within the family will help make an impact in some small way. We are so very grateful to the Vinson's for sharing their gift, their son Jake, with us and we hope to continue to honor his memory through this grant. To learn more or for an application please contact us here at walkingwithkpeasey@gmail.com.