Inclusion on Display

With our Nation's celebration of independence still in view, I can't get over the after glow of our own KPF celebration of independence. I hope that everyone from sea to shining sea had a beautiful 4th of July. 

Another successful AJC Peachtree Road Race was highlighted by amazing competition as Brent and I pulled our a dramatic thrilling victory. The weather was beautiful  with inclusion being showcased at the world's largest 10K. The competition was fierce throughout the event with several new comers to the Kpeasey team toeing the starting line at the Peachtree this year.

Though never truly about the wins and losses, with a time of just under 38 minutes, Brent and I executed our race plan to perfection with our biggest race of our lives looming ahead in less than 100 days. Sherry Adams and Brandon Clift won the mixed division and Lizzie Kirksey and Rebecca Carpenter took the top prize in the Women's Push Assit Division. This is the second year of Push Assist Divisions at Peachtree. Not only were the races competitive but the Kyle Pease Foundation continued to break down barriers and show  inclusion on full display.

Now we turn our attention to the falls series highlighted by the Marine Corps Marathon, Justin Knight and team at Ironman WI and culminating in the first brother duo in the world to ever compete in the Ironman World Championship at Kona, HI in October. 

I want to thank so many people, but I especially want to thank Shepherd Center and Atlanta Track Club for helping us create the most competitive push assist race we have ever seen.  Sharing a race that I grew up watching with first timers, and long time race veterans is something that I truly enjoy every moment of.  Even that 3:40 am wake up call :0

We will have additional blogs to share focusing on Kona training updates as well as the unveiling of our new book "We Are All Brothers."  Remember that applications for the Jake Vinson Grant are due by August 31 and finally I leave you with this before turning the blog over to my brother.  America was founded for its freedom. Its just so fitting how inclusion, which represents independence at it's finest, was allowed to be on display on the Fourth of July. 

Now onward and upward as I turn it over to my best friend and brother, Brent. 

As we close out on another great Peachtree our focus shifts to our fall events.  We thank you all for being a part of our KPeasey family and helping show others that, "Where there is a wheel, there is a way!"

Kyle and I have been striving for KONA since 2012 and this year we get our first crack at the hardest single day endurance event on the planet. Had we gotten into KONA in 2012/2013, I am not sure we would have been prepared to make the most of this very unique opportunity. While we will be racing together, our  hope is that our racing will create even more opportunities for disabled persons.  Funds raised for KONA will support a new transport vehicle, a new truck, a van scholarship fund and job opportunities for disabled persons.

This was a personal goal of ours to compete in KONA, but now it carries additional meaning and motivation for us. We thank each of you for continuing to support our dream and the goals of KPF.  Join us for one more this year and help make a big difference in the lives of disabled persons.

Before I sign off, we have a world championship challenge for you as we have a donor willing to match up to $10k for donations made in July. It's like our own personal BOGO. For every dollar donated up to 10K we get another dollar absolutely free. 

I would like to close by thanking Matt & Becky (Yoga Works Atlanta) for helping us grow the push assist division and the dollars to support it, Greg & Christy for creating an event that is the catalyst for so many generous gifts and of course the Shepherd Center and the Atlanta Track Club for your incredible support. 

Pease Brothers are Headed to KONA!

Prior to today, my timeline of life has been dotted with some pretty unforgettable moments. If I had to tally them into a top ten I believe that the list would contain my graduation from high school, the weddings of my brothers, and my entry into college.

Prior to today, I am sure that my list would include the crossing of many finish lines, the beginning of our foundation only a few short years ago and the many smiles we've witnessed on the faces of athletes, family and friends as those KPF athletes compete in and succeed in another race.

Prior to today, among my greatest life experiences have been breaking the barrier in the Peachtree Roadrace and of course breaking the tape at Ironman Wisconsi and Ironman Flori nd earing the announcer bellow, "Brent Pease. Kyle Pease. You are an Ironman".

But then today came. And as wonderful as each of those life affecting moments were, they have become temporarily dwarfed by the magnitude of today.

You see today, just moments ago, Brent and I crossed the finish line together at Ironman 70.3 in Raleigh, NC. And that word TOGETHER needs to be capitalized. In official from Ironman approached as shortly after we crossed the finish line and said  "Brent and Kyle . We are proud to announce that you have been selected to compete in the Ironman World Championship this October in KONA, Hawaii."

Together we trembled as we heard the absolutely urreal words leave his lips. Together we were sure that we were dreaming. Together we cried as we heard his powerful words. Together we are still battling to catch our collective breath as we share this incredible news with you. Together.

This is  a dream come true. Who would have ever imagined that a man who has never taken a step under his own power would be blessed with the opportunity to compete with the world's greatest athletes in the Super Bowl of Ironman at KONA Hawaii?  The only thing more incredible than this is that I'll be able to experience it with my best friend, my brother, my arms and legs, Brent.

KONA will undoubtedly test our mental and physical abilities, but to be out there for 140.6 miles on the famous lava fields of Hawaii with the greatest athletes in the world is the biggest honor and Brent and I simply can't wait to tackle it.

Several years ago we didn't even have a running chair and now we get to compete among the best. This points to the pinnacle of achievement and the reward for all of our hard work. And yet, this is when all of our hard work begins. I can promise our friends and fans, our family and our foundation that we will work harder than ever to make the best out of this opportunity.

KONA does not back down and neither can we! We hope you will join us on this incredible journey we are about to embark. These words have never sounded more incredible, "TOGETHER WE WHEEL"
~ Kyle Pease

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

KONA is a lifetime of looking over the fence and seeing Kyle just waiting and watching as everyone else played on. 

KONA is a village of volunteers along for every step of the journey to help us get here. 

Kyle is a hero to many, but to me he is just my brother. The brother who grew up sharing in it all, the good and the bad.  

Come October we get to share one of the greatest challenges yet and Kyle won't be watching this time. He will be carrying me down to the beach, through the swim and out into the lava fields to pedal with me all up and down the Queen K. Then, hopefully, together we will run till we reach the finisher's chute, where we will hear our name called out as Ironman {men}.  

I am in awe that we will have this opportunity and cannot wait to share it with my brother. This is the culmination of our dreams. Together. 

~ Brent Pease

Inclusion Looks The Same but it Sure Sounds Different in DE

Hello Kpeasey Nation-

It is beyond our wildest imagination seeing our little flower continue to take root and blossom. As we see the foundation continue to grow, Brent and I took a little jaunt north to Delaware for a little Bowling with Kpeasey Northern style. The rules are still the same with the goal being to knock down ten pins with two rolls and to spread inclusion far and wide, but those northerners sure do talk funny. As long as they continue to use words like inclusion, kindness, together we wheel and as long as their efforts are met with ear to ear smiles, we will get used to the amusing way those Delawareans speak. 

We brought Tina and Naomi Hicks along with us and we got to see good friends Preston and Deb Buenaga of Preston's March for Energy and participated in our second Fusion Inclusion 5K. It is an example of inclusion at it's finest with dozens of athletes enjoying two laps around Christiana Mall. 

Besides seeing the family who put on the bowling found raiser is was good to spread the message of inclusion that we continue to spread everywhere we go. It is exciting to see the little islands of KPF begin to spread in Atlanta, Delaware and Utah. Fusion Inclusion and Preston's March were gracious hosts as they always are.

In between our trip and recruiting new athletes, Brent and I have been going to different groups  around the Atlanta area to recruit so that KPF can continue to grow and evolve. As we turn the corner into the summer months we are gearing up for the largest 10K in America, the Peachtree Road Race. This year we have have our largest group of participants with ten teams. The teams include Sherry Adams and Brandon Clift, Naomi Hicks and Carrie Smith, Justin Knight and Chris Nasser, Ricardo Aranda and Matt Shechtman, Curtis Ward and Yvonne Leeb, Lizzie Kriskey and Rebecca Carpenter, Katy Freeseman and Krystle Andrews, Bentley Grace Hicks and Fred Soller, Kyleigh Kramlich and Scott Stafford and lastly yours truly with Brent Pease. We are stoked!

We have many events leading up to the Peachtree including our summer gala; a celebration of the Peachtree athletes as well as our summer fundraiser event. I personally am super excited about this because the location is where I did therapeutic horse back riding as a kid. It brings back great memories and it allows me to witness the growth of the Chastian Horse Park which had such an incredible impact on my childhood. The event is being held on June 16.

As this weeks blog comes to a close I encourage all to sign up for the Jake Vinson Family Grant and to look at our website for updated events and latest happenings around the Foundation. 

My Name Is ________________ and I Race with the Kyle Pease Foundation

What's up KPeasey Nation?  Well, we are gearing up for some huge events over the next several months but that doesn't mean we have come down from the emotional and physical high from our amazing race at the Publix Race. I keep replaying the numbers in my head and I'm beginning to feel a bit like John Nash in the movie A Beautiful Mind. Fifty-eight teams of athletes, over two-hundred volunteers, thousands of smiles and thousands of live positively impacted. That's an equation that makes me extremely proud. 
 
Watch and enjoy our video from the Publix Race and I think you'll know what I'm talking about.

Since then we have done several local 5K around the Atlanta community and we are gearing up to travel to Delaware to run the 2nd Annual Fusion Inclusion 5K at Christiana Mall on April 29th. We are excited to see our Delaware friends and family helping to raise awareness and raise funds for the Kyle Pease Foundation. 

As many of you may be aware, our family up in DE started their own version of Bowling with Kpeasey, our fun and exciting fundraising event held every year in November. This year, the Delaware version of the same will be held on April 27 and Brent and I are excited to be in attendance. We are excited to "knock a few down" with Paul, Abbey and the rest of the Delaware contingent.

Brent and I are gearing up for Ironman 70.3 in Raleigh NC to be held on June 3. This will be our first half Ironman event of the season and we are excited to shake off the rust and spend seven or eight quality hours of competition and bonding together.  

Speaking of bonding - this past weekend was the 4th annual Camp Wheel Away where we partnered with Camp Twin Lakes to enjoy a weekend filled with a wide array of inclusive activities. Among my many favorite events that we participate in, CWA is one of my highlights.  This was our largest group of campers to date with 17. It was a great turn out and people really loved the activities. Among my favorite moments was a new activity where campers played with slime. Messy but so much fun.  Another highlight was hearing Ricardo Aranda speaking about what KPF has done to enhance his life. It formed a lump in my throat that still hasn't gone away. 

We are getting ready for the Peach Tree Road Race on July 4 which is of course the largest 10K in the country. We will be stepping to the starting line with our largest group of participants to date. It is exciting to experience the growth and realize the acceptance.

Don't forget to look for our big summer gala and fundraising event at Chastain Horse Park in Atlanta. This was the therapeutic horse park where I first experienced therapeutic riding several years ago. This is sure to be the event of the year (and I got that right from the horses mouth).

Finally, we are taking applications for the Jake Vinson Family Grant. Please visit our website to get information and to apply for this year's award. 

Until next time, watch the video above and post on Facebook - My Name Is ________________ and I Race with the Kyle Pease Foundation. 

The Kyle Pease Foundation Cans Some Memories at Publix

Well if memories could be canned, those we experienced during the Publix Half Marathon would have no expiration date. What an absolutely incredible weekend it was. I cannot thank enough all those responsible for making the biggest event in our history a reality.

We all have good days and bad days. We all have days where we experience growth and other days where we face challenges. As a foundation, we need to take the Publix half marathon and put it into our back pocket to pull out at any time we need to expunge a bad day and replace it with incredible.

It will be a day that Brent and I will never forget. I’m confident it becomes a can of memories that will never expire.

From Friday night to the completion of the race on Sunday night, we were so busy. From getting chairs ready and to the starting area to making sure that everyone was comfortable and ready to roll, the entire behind the scenes operation, required a lot of attention to detail and great combined effort.

The banquet, which was held on Saturday night at the Hyatt Regency in Atlanta was standing room only. The food was incredible and there was not a dry eye in the place. Everyone spoke from the heart and our race director, Helen Gardner, received a well-deserved standing ovation, while Brent and I exchanged mutual admiration for each other with standing O’s of our own.

It was the first banquet of this type with over three hundred in attendance and was the perfect acknowledgment of the fruits of our labor and a fitting thank you for all the hard work everyone put in.

All 58 athletes completed the race in flying colors and the KPF athletes had their own coral at the start of the race. This doesn’t usually occur, but was an example showing how we have truly arrived and been accepted as a key part of this historic race. It was simply inclusion at its best.

Our rally corner, located at mile 6.5 was standing room only and we could hear cheers of encouragement for miles as we were making our way around the corner.

Everyone who participated was honored to be a part of it. The foundation embodies what inclusion is all about and being accepted in such grand fashion was enough to make my heart beat right out of my chest. I have a goal of 90 athletes for next year’s race and feel that it is well within our reach.

Brent and I would like to take the opportunity to thank all of the sponsors and volunteers. Without you none of this would be happening. We’d also like to offer special thanks to the Atlanta Track Club to Helen Gardner, Danny Grabel, Ian Evans, Mike Ragan and Curtis Henry. Our since gratitude also goes out to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Champion Place, and the Titan Wheelchair Sports Program, all of who continue to make inclusion a reality in the greater Atlanta area.

And now a few inspiring words from my brother Brent: 

You have heard us boast of 58 wheelchair athletes, of triumphant finishes but none of that would be possible without the great partnership with the Titans Community Foundation & Rick Thompson.  They are doing amazing work and we were honored they asked to join us this year.  It allowed us to create awareness towards inclusion in a way we have never done before.

This race has turned into a massive undertaking for us.  We had 300 in attendance at dinner, 224 volunteers, 101 hotel rooms, 58 amazing athletes and 1 fantastic cause!  When I took my turn on the microphone I was overwhelmed at the site.  When this all started I don't think any of us realized the impact that Kpeasey could have, not just on those we serve, but on those around our organization.  Thank you to each of you for allowing us the opportunity to serve and for helping create the opportunity for inclusion.

The finishing photos are amazing and you can see more by clicking here: photos 

Camp-Wheel-Away is coming early this year during the weekend of April 6th. We are looking for campers to participate in this incredible weekend experience. Please reach out to Brent if you are interested in attending.

We are also currently accepting applications for the Jake Vinson Family Grant which will be awarded to a deserving recipient at our bowling event in November.

Our next official race will be the Peachtree Road Race on July 4th, the largest 10K in the world.