Archive for Jul 15

Sara Strope | Jul 15
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Campaign Kickoff – Pine Bush Triathlon

Organ Donor 4 Life Kick Off – Pine Bush Triathlon

On Sunday, July 10, 2011, we officially kicked off the Organ Donor 4 Life campaign at the Pine Bush Triathlon in Albany, NY.  My dad and I participated in the race as a relay team.  I swam, dad cycled and we did the run together. It was a perfect warm sunny day and we were lucky to have a great cheering squad.

The swim and bike ride went by quickly for each of us.  We tackled the run together, with a good mix of walking and jogging. Each time my dad set a target for how far he would run, he ran a little further.  With that mindset and willingness to push himself, I can definitely see my dad conquering a long distance bike ride in the future.  In fact, a celebration ride from Albany to Boston may just be one of the next activities for the campaign.  Quite a difference to be able to even consider cycling 170+ miles when 15 years ago that trip must have seemed like the longest ambulance ride ever.

 

 

Category: Races | Tags:
Sara Strope | Jul 10
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Be a LifeSaver!

Did you know that only 38% of Americans are organ donors?  And the gap between people in need of organ transplants and the number of available donors gets wider each day?

We certainly don’t make it easy to become a donor in the US.  You can really only register at DMV.  Only a few states allow you to register online.  There’s no national organ donor list. Barely anyone offers education on what it means to be a donor – and what it means to receive an organ.

My father and I are ready to change this.  We are ready to share our story of how an organ donor saved my father’s life 15 years ago.  By participating in his first triathlon on Sunday, July 10, 2011 my Dad wants to show you how fulfilling life post-heart transplant can be.  We want to encourage you to become an organ donor AND join our campaign to increase the organ donation rate across the US.

Sign our pledge to Become a LifeSaver.

Category: Organ Donation Facts, Races |
Sara Strope | Jul 10
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Tri for Dad

Tomorrow morning, my father and I are participating in the Capital District YMCA’s Pine Bush Triathlon.  It’s sprint triathlon and we’re doing it together as a relay team: The Stropetastics!

I’ll kick things off with the quick 325 yard swim in Rensselaer Lake.  When I get out of the water, I’ll meet Dad at T1 and hand off the timing chip.  Dad will take off on the 11.5 mile bike ride through Albany.  In the mean time, I’ll drive over to T2 to meet him for the run.  We’ll have a 3.25 mile run through the neighborhood adjacent to the Capital District YMCA.  Then, we’ll cross the finish line together!  Oh, and did I mention that we’ll be wearing our new OrganDonor4Life campaign shirts (thanks Custom Ink!)?

We’ve got all our gear packed for tomorrow.  We even have our race numbers on our arms already. The cheering sqaud is ready (and armed with matching t-shirts too). The alarm is set for 6 am.

I’m excited to kick this campaign off – and share this experience with my Dad!  It’s one thing to pick up triathlons in your sixties…and a whole different story when you’re 15 years post-heart transplant.

Stay tuned for pics and updates on Sunday.

Category: Races |