The KPeasey Show Must Go On!

For an organization that thrives on social interaction these past several months have been quite challenging!  Right now we should be celebrating another Peachtree Road Race. Right now we should be gearing up for our annual team triathlon at John Tanner State Park. Instead, right now we are home like everyone else, texting our buddies and hosting Zoom calls.  

Right now we should be figuring out who would be riding in our new van out to that triathlon.  See our plan for 2020 was to utilize a grant we received in 2019 along with our Boston Marathon fundraising efforts to get an accessible van for KPF. The plan was to retrofit the van so we could transport up to 4 wheelchairs to events. We have always gone above and beyond to help our athletes get to our races, but inevitably and too often, we have had to say we are sorry, we can't get you there. Not everyone can squeeze into a Peugeot, and certainly not with their 400 lb wheelchairs. 

Can you imagine the laughter as Sherry loads into the van with Emanuel and Dale, all smiling after a long day of racing? The accessible vehicle for many of our athletes will provide another layer of independence.  It's another way to allow us to provide inclusive opportunities. 

At the core of what we do is inclusion. Being able to get people to the start line is a big part of how we create that inclusive experience! We invite you to our next finish line if you haven't yet witnessed it. Come see the finishing smiles and the look of pure exhaustion as they grab another finisher's medal!

With Boston canceled our fundraising has all but halted on that front. BUT we have been alerted to a giveaway contest for a new van.  We are calling on all of you: our athletes, our families, and all of our supporters to help bring awareness to our cause.  Help us present our case on social media as to just how great this van would be to KPF.  Not being able to help is always one of the hardest pieces of our job, having a van would make it a lot easier to say yes.  Help us Find A Way as we know that a "yes" can lead to so much...just ask Kyle :)

Please post your KPF memories, joys, experiences using #SmallBusinessBigImpact.

Together WE Wheel...AGAIN
Brent Pease

Things I Miss About KPF Racing; While BG Goes For a Century

It is hard to believe that our last race was nearly five months ago.  Somehow, it seems easy to believe our next event could be more than five months out.  With so many of our families falling into a higher risk category it could be some time before we can safely set up events for those we serve.  This makes one of the most enjoyable parts of our events even harder, the social interactions.  The laughs we enjoy before a race as Mike tries to remember where he put the keys, the howls we relish as we cut the lock with bolt cutters.  The giggles that flow like water as Kyle & J-dude nod at each other while we all rush around as Bentley Grace holds court with a few of her favorite pushers.  It's those moments before and after a race that sometime feel the most normal. The indelible opportunities where athletes are talking to athletes and nobody is being treated any differently based on where they might sit.  It's the jokes from Kyle as he inquires about the course record, the questions from Ricardo about whether or not it will be a gun start or a bull frog [bull horn].  Whatever it is we long to enjoy those moments again. 

We are doing our best to remain safe and we ask that you please do the same.  While many of you may not get sick or be at risk for the worst of it, we are your community and we all want to be together again.  We want to chase down PR's, miles and loads of smiles.  Think of those around you as you make decisions and know that together we wheel....again.

Speaking of, our own Bentley Grace decided on July 3rd to run to Alabama...yes, the state.  She set out in the wee hours of the morning on July 3rd to experience 100 kilometres of fun.  With a small group, including some of her favorite pushers, she took on her first ultra-challenge.  Guessing by the upcoming bike fit we have scheduled, this might not be the last.  Eric, Chris and Anthony, flanked by family, helped push BG from Atlanta to Alabama.  We have checked and this is the longest anyone from KPF has run before! Make that another record for BG!!! She has an incredible smile and we cannot wait to share the racecourse with her again soon.  When we spoke to BG she said, "The event was hard and rewarding" taking nearly nine hours to complete the 100 km distance run. BG told us "I cannot wait for Boston in 2021!!!." Great work BG!!! BG qualified for Boston 2021 back on March 7th so we are hopeful that due to all the delays, we might have three KPF teams in Boston next year!! Together WE Wheel! 

Kyle and I have still not run together since March 7th, but after talking with family we are going to do a virtual event on July 24th at Columns Drive in Marietta.  We hope a few of you may be able to join (at a safe distance)! What we've missed most is the casual conversations that happen when we are out riding together.  If you really want to get to know someone, spend a few hours on a bike with them. I don't know if we will be able to train or hang like this all summer but for now, we are really excited at a chance to see just how out of shape we have become.

Be safe everyone and remember your community each time you walk out of your door.  We look forward to sharing the road with you all again soon! ~ Brent

Alabama or Bust for BG and her posse!!

KPF Continues to Adjust "Because That's What Families Do"

This video was put together by our very own, Kevin Enners. Kevin types using orbital technology at about five words per minute.  Let that sink in for a moment...FIVE words per minute and he edited this incredible video to highlight our amazing team.

As our foundation has grown, so has our support structure.  We are incredibly proud of our team and all they bring to enhance the KPF experience.  While that experience has been reduced to Zoom calls, phone trees and social media of late it has not dampened our spirits.  We are incredibly hopeful for our return to racing, but we continue to be realistic about what that means for our families and their loved ones.

We recently spent some time trying to figure out what we should do if there were no racing the rest of the year, what would it look like? What would we do? We haven't quite cracked the code on that one but one of our board members said something very simple to us when he said. "you know we are doing a pretty good job."  Last year we had more than 70 unique individuals cross hundreds of finish lines together.  We held our annual camp at Twin Lakes and we helped two families secure accessible vehicles.  While we may not be in our normal, our family is still adjusting, because that's what families do.

We are incredibly thankful to our team who helps us continue to see the positive in each day, and challenges us to remain in the light! Thank you to Kevin for this incredible video, to Jdude (Justin) for his tireless spirit, to our fearless leader Kyle, to Shawna for taking on almost any task we find and to Morgan for the work on keeping the social community engaged.  Thank you to our board, our volunteers, to Mike, Dan & our Board of Directors.  Thank you for always being the best part of what we do.  We are incredibly proud and eternally grateful.

Together WE Wheel! Again,

Brent Pease ~ Executive Director

Virtual Road Race

Join KPF for our next virtual run the Virtual Road Race!

While we can't wheel together on Peachtree this July 4th, we can support Inclusion and our Peachtree Teams.  

Ways to Get Involved:
1. Join the Virtual Run - Choose Your Distance 1K, 5K, 10K... get out and move!
Registration is FREE. Donations are WELCOMED.
CLICK HERE to sign up

2. Enter KPeasey's Bib Design Contest
CLICK HERE to learn more

3. Order Your Limited Edition 2020 KPeasey Commemorative Tank Top
CLICK HERE to order.
BONUS: ALL KPeasey Gear and Books are ON SALE through July 4th!

KPeasey Nation Unites

As The Kyle Pease Foundation continues to navigate these uncertain times, we are pleased to announce that the KPeasey Nation is uniting and bringing the Utah chapter under the direction of our Board of Directors and Brent Pease, KPF’s Executive Director.

Two people that have longed been moved by the courage of others, Joe & Michelle have inspired us with their courage.  They came to us as volunteers and then, upon leaving Atlanta they became stewards of our mission, for our first "chapter" outside of our hometown.  They helped bring some amazing families into our KPF family and they continue to invest so much of their time and energy into our mission.  We are incredibly thankful to call on them as friends, and we are excited at the future of continuing to serve our mission together.  As our KPF family & support team grows in Atlanta we want to be able to serve our dear friends in Utah well, and with that we are excited to bring us all under the same roof.

Thank you Joe & Michelle for helping create impact long past the finish line. 
Together WE Wheel

Words from Michelle Guttenplan:
Joe and I met Brent many years ago while looking for a triathlon coach. Joe specifically felt like Brent was the right choice after seeing him race with Kyle. Joe's initial inspiration for competing in triathlon came from seeing the Hoyts, so he figured this was meant to be. Being a former special education teacher, speech pathologist and having my own family members with a disability, I was intrigued by the Kyle Pease foundation and loved the mission. I knew from experience that the options my Aunt (who had cognitive and visual deficits) had to participate in sports were few and far between. 

In the beginning Joe and I wanted to help via racing and requesting donations, we had not yet gained the experience of racing with an in chair athlete. When we moved to Utah, we wanted to stay connected, but weren't sure how since we were now 2,000 miles away. At that time Kyle and Brent had made connections with several families in Utah that were already racing. It seemed like this would be a great opportunity to begin a Utah chapter with a group of individuals who had similar interests. During our few years in operation in Utah, we have met and connected with some of the most wonderful people.At first,it was about inclusive sports and racing, but quickly turned into an extended family, both in Georgia and Utah. For me personally: I love the KPF mission because it makes me feel connected to my Aunt. She has influenced so many decisions in my life just by being herself. I initially went to school to be a special education teacher because of her, then became a speech pathologist for similar reasons. My Aunt was the type of person who never met a stranger. She loved people and everyone loved her in return. Kyle's personality and ability to make an instant friend reminds me so much of her. Growing up, I would attend her bowling league and sometimes serve as her partner. This was a fond memory of mine and reminds me  of what KPF provides not only individuals with disabilities, but their family members.When Joe and I moved to Utah, we were provided the opportunity to start the Utah chapter. Joe and I were really excited. I run, but didn't feel I was strong enough to participate helping athletes. This was a chance for me to give back outside of racing (Joe was racing with athletes). Getting to know all the Utah athletes and families has been amazing. Seeing a random group of people become friends while promoting inclusion is not just a bonus, it is so much of what makes the Kyle Pease Foundation amazing. It's one of those things that is hard to put into words. You almost have to experience it to understand. As a volunteer, KPF has provided me new friendships, a sense or purpose and the general joy you gain by helping others.