To say it was an incredible day for the Kyle Pease Foundation would be a huge understatement. I could not be more proud of what the past few days have looked like for our Foundation.
Several months ago, we came up with the idea of making the Peachtree be a friendly competition since the Atlanta Track Club was generous enough to grant us two bibs this year.
Team Pease was made up of none other than Brent and me, while Team Infinity was comprised of Justin Knight and Matthew Shechtman.
The two teams went to head to head in the Peachtree 10K. As many remember, Brent and I blazed the trail becoming the first assisted race team to compete in the Peachtree two years ago. To now be competing with and against another KPF team is a step closer to our foundation goal of inclusion for all.
All four of us were attired in our cool lululemon race gear
which were donated to us by lululemon, The Shops Around Lenox. We wore red and blue and Team Infinity were attired in blue tops and maroon shorts.
To my surprise, Team Pease was considered to be the underdog just prior to race time as Matt's previous PR was a blistering 34 minutes.
Justin's smile, prior to, during and after the race really sparked me because aside from the mission of the foundation, my personal mission is to see the smile of every athlete that comes through the foundation. That's what it is all about for me. Justin Knight is precisely what we envisioned when we started the KPF and for me that brings absolute joy.
The weather was dicey all day, but the rain did not dampen our spirits. Justin and Matt had an amazing race and beat us fair and square.
Following the race, Matt shared his thoughts about the race and the weather. "It was a lot of fun out there running with Justin. Despite the dreary weather and early morning downpour, Justin and Kyle were in good spirits the whole time. Their enjoyment and competitive nature was infectious and it made it hard not to revel in the moment."
He continued, "As soon as the gun went off the race was on and Kyle and Brent pushed the pace hard, but soon we were coming up on other wheelchair athletes and Justin let it be known that he was ready to go faster. From there it was just about hanging on tight - I needed it too, because going up Cardiac Hill was tough, but all of the applause and cheering at the Shepherd Center was plenty of motivation to get me over the top!"
"Frankly, I couldn't believe how quickly the race went by, it was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Excited for next year!!"
In addition to the race, it was overall an amazing weekend. With the help of lululemon and and Infinity Yoga over $10,000 was raised for KPF. W are so grateful to have these amazing companies behind us and we could not have done it without them.
Our friends at Infinity Yoga had this to say, "We, at Infinity
Yoga, are so proud to be partnered with the Kyle Pease Foundation. Through our early beginnings we have had the opportunity to do events with KPF and every time we do they get better and better. Beyond the beneficent goals and all the great things that KPF does for athletes, we have gotten to know the organization's members and athletes in such an intimate and personal way and even our students and community have gotten involved."
"It is one thing to raise money, and another to give time, but to feel so deeply connected with an organization and its goals has really made our experiences with KPF unforgettable."
The Kyle Pease Foundation would like to thank lulu Lemon and Infinity Yoga, along with the Atlanta Track Club and Shepard Spinal Center for their continued support of KPF.