The Publix Half Exceeds KPeasey's Wildest Dreams

Several years ago when we wrote our first children’s book titled “Where There’s a Wheel, There’s a Way”, I started it off with the following stanza: “Never in my wildest dreams, though believing that I can. Did I think I’d hear the announcer say, Kyle Pease, You’re an Ironman.”

Well just as I thought that that was a wild dream, I am dreaming wild again because never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine that the Kyle Pease Foundation would grow and grow and grow to a point that we would fill up a ball room in a major Atlanta hotel.  But it happened, when 64 athletes and over 200 volunteers came together to support inclusion and to show what is truly possible last weekend prior to the Publix Half Marathon..

What made the weekend doubly special for our home city of Atlanta was the fact that we also played host to the US Olympic marathon trials on Saturday. This brought more than 20,000 guests to our fair city allowing onlookers to have a front row seat to Olympic history while also witnessing KPeasey history the following day. Many who watched the Olympic trials then lined the streets of Atlanta and watched our athletes motoring 13.1 miles around The Big Peach.

From the large crowd that filled the banquet hall and the very Inspiring speeches by Ryan Freesemann and Bryce Wooten. to the the race itself, there was no shortage of inspirational moments. After watching all the beautiful faces I was so overwhelmed with emotions and so proud of everything that we accomplished as a foundation that the race itself was simply the icing on the cake. It goes to show you together we wheel and together we are showing the world what inclusion is all about. 

A special thank you to the Atlanta Track Club for again making our involvement in this race one of their high priorities. We feel so incredibly grateful to the ATC for helping us create such an amazing race for our athletes and volunteers. Also a huge hats of to Brent and to Shawn Gray, our new Race Operations Director, and to Kevin Enners and Lisa Switzer for their amazing work in pulling the event together.

See our full photo album of the Publix Race

KPF Volunteers Keep the Wheels Turning for Inclusion!

The KPF Volunteer Experience
This race isn’t about me, it’s about the person in front of me.

KPF volunteers love what they do, click here to learn more about their experiences: 

On Kyle and Brent:

I met Kyle and Brent on my first race at the Publix Half Marathon. I have interacted with them since and every single time there is always a positive remark made about how thankful they are for me. This is so special because they see how hard I work and try for them and they acknowledge it and support me, always.

A fond memory is of riding around with Kyle at Augusta 70.3 to cheer on Justin and Justin. The best part was seeing how invested Kyle was in their success and even more so in the way he lifted them up even upon not completing the race.  He reminded them of the reason and that there was lots of inclusion shared that day 

I was so impressed with their commitment to the community. Brent and Kyle are inspirational beyond their physical feats because they inspire ordinary people to be change agents one race at a time.  

On being a KPF volunteer for Inclusion

Knowing that I may never be the fastest out there but that even I can bring so much joy and cheer to someone else’s life.  

What motivates me to volunteer?  All the great people connected to this organization. 

Endorphins and the social aspect of it is so fun too!

It just feels good to do things for other people. Whether they have special needs or not. 

On racing for Inclusion:

At the start line I am stressing about being good enough, it is a hard place for me to be but I am looking down and remembering that this race is not about me, it is about the person in front of me.  

It's all about having a good time and having fun

I get super chatty with my athlete and my push assist teammates because I want everyone to have a great time.

I do not ever look at my watch and run only by feel. I remember the crowds and people that are cheering me on. They have so much belief in me.

It is so encouraging when others on the course tell you their stories and are excited to learn more about the in chair athlete as a person and competitor, no different from any one else out there.

To learn more about volunteering for Kyle Pease Foundation, email Kevin Enners, KPF Communications to kevin@kylepeasefoundation.org or click on the contact page at Kyle Pease Foundation https://www.kylepeasefoundation.org/#contact-1

The Kyle Pease Foundation

The experience is so much more than racing!

KPF Is Always Looking Forward...Except At Year End

I’ve always felt that it is best to remain looking forward and into the future and spend as little time as possible looking behind into the rear view mirror. It’s a healthy attitude that always leaves be moving forward and never in reverse.

However, at the end of another record breaking and highly successful year, it is the one time I allow myself to rejoice in past accomplishments. And what a year it has been.

Our athletes set the tone and raised the bar of the Foundation, as well as, in their own personal competition. It seems that every time we believe our team of athletes has reached their peak, they manage to climb a little higher. This lends credence to our motto, Where There’s a Wheel, There’s a Way. And the way of the KPF athlete is upward and onward.

In 2019, 50 athletes and a whopping 225 volunteers participated in March at The Annual Publix Race which was our largest race showing to date. No idea how large the support and the Foundation can get, but this was certainly a prime example of how much we continue to grow.

In May we released our autobiography, Beyond of Finish. The book has done tremendously well even spending time in the number one spot on the Amazon list for books on inclusion and in the top five for triathlons. To date, we’ve received nearly 50, Five- star reviews and encourage everyone to visit Amazon and leave another. We would like to show our extreme gratitude to our partner Buffalo Wild Wings, who supported the project and continues to lead the way with their incredible support.

The Peach Tree Road Race has elevated itself to become the marquis event for the push assist division and the most competitive push assist 10k race in the country. I like to think that we had a lot to do with that not only for the Foundation but in the name of inclusion. We broke the barrier in 2014 and it grew to nine assist teams in 2019 each of whom have to qualify in February in order to compete in July. 

In October we participated in the Marine Corps Marathon in DC. Though we had a wonderful race in the back drop of the Nation’s Capitol, we may take a brief hiatus as the logistics need to be fine tuned before we return. We will be back, but not likely in the year ahead.

In November, we enjoyed our End of year Bowling with Kpeasey Fundraiser with Ricardo Aranda capturing the coveted Jake Vincent Award. For those of you who experienced this, he wasn’t crying, he just had something in his eye.

In the coming months and year ahead, sign ups for the Publix is about to begin. This year, Publix weekend will be coupled with Olympic trials on Saturday. We are again partnering with the Atlanta Track Club as the official push assist sponsor for the Publix Race. We will have a presence at the Expo with some of the Olympic athletes in attendance as well.

In April of 2020 the Boston Pease Party will take place with Brent and I and Lizzie Kirksey and Gordie Powell taking on the 26.2 Boston Marathon. We will be partnering with Dick and Rick Hoyt and The Hoyt Foundation Team which is a near dream come true!

April is also the annual Camp-Wheel-Away event. We encourage all to join us in attendance of a truly unforgettable weekend away.

On behalf of Brent and I and all the athletes, have a joyous holiday season and a happy New Year. We couldn't do it without all you, our KPF family. ~ Kyle

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“We are all so proud to be a part of the Kyle Pease Foundation and helping all we serve. I am beyond proud of the work the board, Kevin, J-Dude, Shawna and our entire support structure perform on a continued basis.

We look forward to learning how to bring things beyond the finish.” ~ Brent