Help a friend become a Media Athlete for Kona '12
Please click the link below the inspiring story of an acquaintance and neighbor Andrew Haas. Andrew is one of the most driven and determined human beings I know of. In 2005, Andrew was training for Kona, when he was hit by a car while bike riding. He sustained life-threatening injuries (shattered pelvis and femurs, spine fractures and massive internal bleeding.) We were told that it would be a miracle if he survived, much less walked again. Well, he walked... he ran.. he swam... he rode his bicycle... he fathered two sons... he returned to his medical practice as an Orthopedic surgeon, and now he returns to Kona to become an Ironman in 2012. Please watch the video and vote for him. The will to survive is fueled by the will to compete. I would love for Andrew to tell his story.
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So many of you can remember 7 years ago receiving an email from Susan about my terrible bike accident while training for the 2005 Ironman World Championship in Hawaii. You were so incredibly supportive in helping Susan, me, and my family to get through the awful months and early years that followed. I still am forever thankful for all of your help and support and love.
I have been so fortunate to have made a dramatic recovery, better than any of the doctors initially believed was possible. I am back with my family, have been fortunate to have had the family grow with the additions of Charlie and Sam, am back in a great orthopedic practice, and have been able to return to triathlon. I have continued to train and race and after completing 2 Ironman 70.3 races in the last 2 years, realized I was ready to race the Ironman in Hawaii.
Not only did the doctors not think i was going to live, they did not think that my chance to return to working as an orthopedic surgeon was going to happen. They definitely did not think I would return to triathlon at any level, especially at the Ironman level. It has been a long and difficult task to return to my passion, but I am looking forward to October 13th of this year to race in Hawaii. Diana Bertsch, the Ironman World Championship race director held my number for me because of the severity of my accident.
Ironman has a competition to select 8 Media Athletes for the Ironman in Hawaii. These athletes will have their stories told and shared through Ironman's reach. The athletes are selected based on votes for videos that they have made demonstrating their fulfilling the Ironman mantra of "Anything is Possible." My survival and return to this level of performance is most definitely a prime example of "Anything is Possible." I would love you to help me become selected as a Media Athlete for the race this October.
Please go to http://apps.facebook.com/konainspir...kapp_194_4 Under and to the left of the video is a "vote for this" tab to click to vote. Like all elections it is important to vote, and in this case, to vote often and daily.
I am so fortunate to be here at all. Ironman is a special opportunity and a real privilege. Training is rigorous, but glorious as I often think of the places from where I have come over the last seven years.
Thank you for having been there for me and my family and thank you for helping me to make this October's race in Hawaii even more special.
Vote and vote often, for Anything is Possible,
Andrew