During this COVID-19, although we are not together physically, we are connected as a family. And at the core, that is what The Kyle Pease Foundation is all about.
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Walking with Kpeasey
The 241st birthday of the United States was historic in more ways than one as nine Push Assist teams, representing the colors of the Kyle Pease Foundation, participated in the "Grand Daddy of them All", the iconic Peachtree 10K Road Race.
To take you back through the history of KPF's involvement in the Peachtree, we must take you back in time to the year 2013 when Brent and I made history as the first Push Assist team to participate in this historic race. One year later, race organizers, The Atlanta Track Club (ATC) and the Shepherd Center, granted us a second bib as Brent and I were joined by Justin Knight and Brian Resutek as participants. Now in 2017, through the continued support of both ATC and the Shepherd Center our numbers have blossomed yet again.
"As we waited to start, Matt of Infinity Yoga, turned to me and said, 'Dude, we have the whole row.' It's amazing to think that in 2013 it was just us. Now it's beyond that. It's bigger than us. It's a collective We and one we are so proud of. Together WE Wheel!" ~Brent Pease
As I've shared on several occasions, the reason this race is so special to me is because it takes place right in my own backyard on the very streets that I call my home. From the moment the starter's pistol sounds to mark the beginning of the race at Lenox Square Mall to the point where runners make their way down Peachtree Road, through the streets of Buckhead and Midtown before finishing in beautiful Piedmont Park, the Peachtree can be summed up in four letters...H-O-M-E!
The highlight takes place as we race by the Shepherd Center, where many of the patients line the streets and cheer us on as we make our way past this incredible facility. The Shepherd Center specializes in spinal cord & brain injury rehabilitation along with medical research as the top rehabilitation hospital in the nation, so it is apparent why they cheer on the KPF athletes so feverishly. Another highlight for me is when we whisk by Piedmont Hospital, where I've been employed for many years. Patients, staff and many dear friends come out of the hospital to cheer for Brent and I, as well as our other push assist athletes. My heart swells with pride as we pass both of these top-rated facilities.
Brent and I finished third in the men's division with a credible time of 39:18. The men's division was won by Ricardo Aranda and Matt Shechtman, while second place was awarded to Justin Knight and George Darren. The push assist women's division was won by Naomi Hicks and Carrie Smith, while the coed division was won by Aiden Jackson and Carmen Brahmin. Winning participants in each of the push assist divisions were awarded cash prizes by the Kyle Pease Foundation to acknowledge their accomplishment.
We look forward to next year and the opportunity for KPF athletes to participate in America's Largest 10K. As always, our goal remains spreading the message of inclusion from sea to shining sea.
Before we blow out the final candle on our country's birthday cake, let me take a moment to remind you to apply for the Jake Vinson Family Grant and to register for Camp Wheel Away. These are two of the highlights of our organization and we hope to make both opportunities available to as many families as possible.
Until next time-Together We Wheel....
Hello KPeasey Nation,
We all enjoy the start of a New Year and the turn of the calendar page because it symbolically allows us to leave the negative in the year behind us. We are able to start fresh, begin anew and wipe clean the slate of anything and everything we choose to forget.
But what happens when 2016 was so incredible that we want it to continue? The ride has been so wonderful that we never want it to end? The strides we've made and the things we've accomplished are so huge that we want to go on and on and on?
Well, fear not. As much as we enjoyed 2016, there is not a doubt that 2017 will exceed it in every way. The year 2016 was merely a building block in the incredible organization we continue to build. The year 2016 was a phenomenal year that included a total of 53 athletes participating for KPF with 31 of them being brand new to the foundation. We hope to exceed such growth in the year ahead and are confident that this will happen.
We have a full docket of races in the year ahead beginning in on February 11 in Augusta with "Dr Seuss is on the Loose 5k" and continuing in March with The Charles Harris, which was my very first race in 2011 and in some ways was the catalyst for what we have become today.
Charles Harris will be followed by Publix, which will be bigger and even better than in past years with more KPF runners and more volunteers.
Be sure to look at our website for latest races and updates throughout the year. And start looking for our blog on the website as we begin to phase out this in 2017. You will find new and exciting blog topics related to the foundation, including several guest blogs through out the year.
As always we are so grateful for our sponsors, our many volunteers and especially for our athletes and their families.
As we move forward we promise to never forget you 2016, but look forward to seeing what your younger brother has in store.
Together We Wheel, Kyle
Hello Kpeasey friends...On behalf of Brent and me, we would like to wish you all a very happy holiday season.
The Kyle Pease Foundation has had a tremendous year due to the efforts of all of our fans, donors, sponsors and supporters.
This past fall has been one for the ages culminating with our 7th Annual Bowling with Kpeasey event. The fun-filled fundraiser was a rolling success with most of our athletes in attendance. The event included laughter in abundance as well as selling the Kpeasey swag, the launch of Justin Knight's new book, A Knight in Shining Armor, great food and some awesome raffles and give-aways. Overall the event was a rousing success.
One of the highlights of the event included the announcement of The Jake Vinson Family Grant. This was a special one as we awarded two recipients of the grant. Sherry Adams and her family received a grant to help facilitate the construction of a handicapped bathroom to allow Sherry to gain more independence. Noah and Naomi Williams also received a grant to put towards a new van to get Noah to all of his activities. There wasn't a dry eye in the place. We were thrilled to once again have The Vinson family in attendance to announce and congratulate the winners. The memory of Jake will always be a part of who we are and what we stand for.
Thank you to all who came out to Stars and Strikes to participate and volunteer for the event.
And now a few words from Brent: Bowling with KPeasey actually started in 2009 before The Kyle Pease Foundation was actually born. Kyle, with the help of some of his friends and aides, set up a bowling event. That first event benefited Reaching for the Stars, an organization supporting individuals with Cerebral Palsy. Kyle ran and organized the event on his own and helped to raise a little more than $3000 dollars.
When the foundation was formed in 2011 we elected to continue with an inclusive event, bowling, that was the original vision of our founder. Today we raise nearly $25,000 annually at bowling, which allows us to support our local 5K/10K races for ALL our athletes! The joy we gain from helping disabled individuals find joy in endurance sports is a true joy and we look forward to continuing to share our mission. Thank you all for allowing us to serve and for helping us grow year in and year out! Together We Wheel
We did do just a bit of racing this season including a visit to NY and the New York City Marathon. Brent and I, along with with Ricardo Aranda and Matt Sour visited the Big Apple and had a blast during our redemption tour. Ricardo soaked up every famous NYC landmark that the city had to offer including Times Square, and the world renowned Katz's Deli. It was great to see Ricardo so excited even before the race. His enthusiasm was contagious.
The race was equally amazing. It was surreal as Brent pointed out the spot along the course where our wheel exploded last year. This year, no such mishap as we blazed through the streets of the city in record time. We also were able to talk about the organization during an interview with USA Today and on our local station 11 Alive Atlanta. See more images on our facebook photo album.
The week before we were in the Nation's capitol for the Marine Corps Marathon. It is incredible to roll through the streets of DC with all those historic monuments and landmarks as a back drop. The MCM had many of our teams participating at their highest level and it was a true honor to celebrate it with the Abilities Experience. Nine KPF teams participated and had an incredible experience. What I love most about the event is the fact that it brings all of us together as a KPF family. Laughing, competing and just hanging out creates an unforgettable experience.
The foundation would not be possible without our athletes, sponsors, supporters, board members. Once again, we thank you for making 2016 one to remember and we look forward to what 2017 has in store. Stay tuned for updated race info coming up on our website very soon.
Until then....remember that Where There's a Wheel, There's a Way!
Hello Kpeasey Nation,
As we get ready to run into our busiest season of the year, we can't help but look back at some of our incredible summer events. We kicked off the summer with the Virginia Highlands Summerfest in June, followed by the iconic Peachtree Road Race. At Peachtree our involvement grew by leaps and bounds and was only exceeded by our The Lekotek 4-miler, which became our largest team event race ever.
One would think that that would be the pinnacle, but it just keeps on getting better at
our favorite local triathlon The John Tanner Tri the Parks Triathlon.
If I may, the whole reason why we started this foundation was to let every person have their moment, whatever that might be. Their moment to shine or experience life at it's very finest.
This past Saturday, at the John Tanner, Ryan Whitley had his aha
moment where he realized just what it meant to be a triathlete by finishing the race on his own two feet. It was his first triathlon and after walking across the finish line surrounded by cheers and tears of joy, Ryan's smile traveled from ear to ear. This is my personal mission; for the foundation to help provide every athlete with the opportunity to smile and to enjoy their race day to the fullest. Ryan certainly filled that bill for me.
Please take a minute and relive Ryan's incredible finish line experience below.
As we get ready for the fall events,
which will culminate with Bowling with Kpeasey in November, we cannot wait until the Marine Corps Marathon in the Nation's capital in October. They don't call it the People's Marathon for nothing. The MCM will challenge our athletes, but will give them a purpose and personal achievement that no one can take ever away from them.
If you are interested in making a donation to support one of our Marine Corps Marathon team pages please visit,
and select the KPF team of your choice.
We are so excited about being a co-sponsors to Golf with Jake as Jake Vinson and his family will always have a special place in our hearts.
Speaking of this special family, it's not too late to sign up for the Jake Vinson Family Grant. The deadline is 9/15.
Applications are on our website.
Camp Wheel a Way which is always a fun time is approaching on October 9-11. Do not miss out on this incredible weekend. For more information visit our website as well.
Thanks always for all the support. W
e can't wait to kick off the fall and for all of the Kpeasey family to have a great time. Until then,
Together We Wheel...Kyle