April 19-25 is Volunteer Appreciation Week and The Kyle Pease Foundation wants to take this time to send out a very special thank you to the hundreds of volunteers that make it possible for our athletes to race each year.

Cecil Williams is an adventurous soul. In 2018, after being involved in a hit-and-run accident that caused his peripheral neuropathy, he turned to adaptive sports as a way to rehabilitate his body and spirit. Through a nonprofit in his hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee, Williams quickly transformed into an adventure-seeking adrenaline junkie.

It would be the toughest race Team Pease would tackle - The Ironman World Championship in Kona, HI. Before each training run, Brent would lace up his Newton Distance running shoes. Following a rigorous training plan which involved 20 to 28 miles of running per week, one long aerobic run, one short strength run (usually with hills) and two “brick” bike-run workouts.

Through the rollercoaster of their journey that started all those years ago with The Kyle Pease Foundation, there were Newton running shoes to see them through the finish line – and beyond.

Whether professional or amateur, being an athlete takes grit. Crank athlete Jessica Minton has been a lifelong sports person, whether playing wheelchair basketball at the University of Alabama or cranking out mileage on her handbike equivalent to that of an ultramarathon on The Silver Comet Trail.

When asked if running has helped her overcome other obstacles in life, Kramlich said it boosts her confidence. “I know I can do anything if I put my mind to it.”