SAN DIEGO– When I started my real estate business, one of the first decisions I  made was to try to use my resources to benefit the triathlon and endurance sports community. I try to direct my marketing dollars towards sponsoring events and clubs and my time as well. The two things I am most proud of is the time I spend with the Triathlon Club of San Diego, but mostly my involvement with the Challenged Athletes Foundation.

The Challenged Athletes Foundation was founded here in San Diego by three guys, Jeffery Esakow, Rick Kozlowski and Bob Babbitt, looking to help a fellow triathlete gain more independence by purchasing him an adapted vehicle. The first Tri Challenge was held in 1994 and the foundation was formed in 1997. According to the website the Foundation has raised more then 11 million dollars and funded more than 2,100 grants.

These grants are given to individuals to not only help them pursue new dreams, but to also give them the ability to participate in an active lifestyle. Funds are given to athletes of many sports, ranging from snow skiing legs for my buddy Jonah Vandever, pictured with myself and his mom, to handcylces for my good friend Erica Davis. Funds are also used to help cover travel expenses, coaching and clinics to help athletes get to the next level of competition. At the 2008 Paralympics, CAF athletes took over 25% of the hardware!!!

In 2004, CAF stepped up HUGE in support of our veterans and soldiers suffering permanent physical injuries while participating in the global war on terror. In 2008, that program, Operation Rebound, was extended to include all military persons past and present as well as the first responders of the 911 attacks. As a veteran of Desert Storm, I am proud that CAF has taken on this mission. Many of these recipients are young men and women who have a long life of accomplishments awaiting them.

As the current President of the Triathlon Club of San Diego, I am trying hard to get more of our local “challenged” athletes involved with our club. I invited below the knee amputee,  known as a BK, Tracy Moore come and speak to the club at one of our monthly meetings and it was very moving. She shared how a life of drug and alcohol abuse with a failed suicide attempt turned around when she was bitten by the running bug. However, it was her exposure to the programs and with help from CAF, as well as triathlon that really have brought about the many positive changes in her life. With her new running leg, she has many great accomplishments both in triathlon and running events.

Another great CAF/ TCSD story involves our long time member Andy Bailey.

Andy, while starting our sport later in life, was able to string together some pretty impressive finishes including several age group wins. What I was most impress with and why Andy was a special member of TCSD however, was that while he lived in Irvine, he was a very faithful and giving member of our club. Specifically what made him special to me though, was his participation at most if not all the local triathlon expos manning the TCSD booth at some part of the day. He is what every club could hope for from a member. An active caring and sharing member who exposed those he came in contact with to the best of our community. It is his love for the sport and community that makes him this way. Unfortunately in 2006 a freak accident in the driveway of his home gave Andy a temporary set back, but CAF a chance to make a difference in this athletes life. This weekends CAF event was Andy’s return to triathlon competition. I am sure this is only the beginning of a great new chapter in Andy’s life.

Another club member and good friend Erica Davis has also been the benefactor of CAF and those who help raise funds.

Erica, who was also participating in triathlon as an “able bodied” athlete, had her life changing injury in December 2005. A physical education teacher in Hawaii at the time, Erica suffered a ruptured vein in her spinal cord that caused a build up of pressure and eventual atrophy of her spinal cord. What started as a back ache 5 days later turned in to paralysis from her belly button down. 

In 2006, I was sent an email from CAF asking if I could help an athlete with the swim portion of the Encinitas Triathlon. With out hesitation I said yes and was told to meet Erica at the venue. When I met Erica, a beautiful blonde California girl, I was taken in by her great smile. Unfortunately though, in the back of my mind were the VERY POOR conditions on the swim course that day. I was confident that we would not be swimming as the ocean, while it was May, looked like the day after one of our big winter storms. There was not a definite swell direction nor cycle, but there was definitely a swell of 3 -5 feet. On a normal day, this swell size would not bother me to much, but this day, it was so sloppy, ugly, cloudy and grey out, that I did not even bring a wetsuit. Unfortunately the organizers decided to go ahead with the swim and Erica was determined to get out there, so I borrowed a wetsuit from 2XU representative Richard Verney and off we went when the gun sounded. I have NEVER been more worried during an ocean swim in my life. There was never a lull in the surf and Erica does not have the ability to “ duck dive” because she can not plunge her torso while lifting her legs in order to dive, duck style. So with each passing wave all she could do was let the white water have its way with her and then try to get back to the task of swimming.

Initially I would try to force her down underwater with me, but once we got into deeper water, closer to the impact zone, this really became less effective and possibly dangerous. The possibility of slamming in to each other just became to great. So I was left to the primary role of lead worrier and with every wave came an additional wave of anxiety. Here his how it went.

A wave would approach and I would use my momentum to dive deep and forward. The last thing I would do though was make sure I saw that Erica was aware of the coming wave. If not, I would tap anywhere I could touch so that she could prepare. I would go under praying and pop up having already turned back towards shore. The process, while still praying, then turned to scanning the whitewater of the passing wave. What I was hoping for was Ericas butt to surface much like the way a sub comes up. Not sure why, but this was pretty consistently the body part that broke the surface first. Once I got her position, I would swim to her and the next thing I would see, to my relief, would be her, lift her head and give me a big smile in response to my, “are you OK?” question. At this point we sometimes had a chance to start swimming but also sometimes, we had to just repeat the process we just went through. To be honest, there were several times I was hoping to hear,”let’s get the heck outta here!!!”. But she soldiered on and while the current had driven us to far south to realistically make the single bouy, she did that day what well over half of the field did not do, and that was make it out past the surf. I saw many a “heman triathastud” humbled by the conditions and I will always remember her for her determination that day.

Since then I have helped Erica with many ocean training swims as well as escorting her on rides. One day hopefully she will achieve her dream, shared almost universally in triathlon, of making it to compete in Kona.

This is the first year I mixed business and pleasure at this event. I was asked to do the swim as part of relay with Dr. John Martinez, of Coastal Sports and Wellness, and his wife. Due to a large fog bank hugging the coast in the morning, the swim was shorten to keep the athletes closer to shore for safety sake. Instead of a 1.2 mile swim, it was turned in to an estimated 800 meter swim. Staying consistent with this shortened swim, our cyclist, Dr. Martinez, missed some turns on the open bike course and did not ride the entire 56 miles. Trying to stay honest with what should have been his course time, he decided to burn some time with breakfast at Breuggers Bagels. Fortunately his wife Laura, a strong runner, kept it honest on our anchor leg with a strong 13.1 mile run. Remember this is an event not a race became the theme of our team!!!

All and all it was a great event with over 2 million dollars raised this year when combining the triathlon with the Quallcom Million Dollar Challenge ride and the Tour De Cove spin cycle fund raiser. This is one of the great charities and causes. Please consider getting involved as a fundraiser or volunteer. You will have the opportunity to not only touch many lifes, the rewards are

Lastly, I would like to thank all my fellow TCSD members that came out in support of the event. Members of the Triathlon Club of San Diego played huge roles in support of the event by manning a run aid station, organizing and staffing the Kaiser Permanente walk and throughout the event in many capacities. It makes me proud to be a member along with so many great people!!!