Dear Family and Friends,
Team Marv.n.Jo is raising funds and needs your help.
Team Operation Rebound
Since the beginning of the conflicts in both Afghanistan and Iraq, the men and women of the U.S. armed forces have risked their lives to protect human freedoms wherever we as a nation have sent them. While many of them have paid a heavy price to secure these freedoms, they have not lost their spirit to continuously challenge and improve themselves away from the battlefield.
In 2004, Challenged Athletes Foundation recognized a critical need among the brave members of our armed forces returning from Afghanistan and Iraq who had suffered permanent disabilities – such as an amputation -- in combat. That need was for mentoring and community with athletes who had prevailed over similar circumstances and shared similar experiences. It became part of CAF’s mission to help show injured soldiers that they could be “whole” again through participation in sports – at any level.
Team Operation Rebound was created to raise much needed funds in support for these injured U.S. military personnel and other challenged athletes through grants, outreach, the online forum and the Military Medical Center Physical Training program. The program has touched hundreds of wounded veterans, and has provided them with the training, specialized equipment and mentoring to allow them to rebuild their lives through sports whether their goal is to simply finish a local 5K or make it to the Paralympic games.
Introducing The 2009 Team
Injured troops expected to race as part of the 2009 Team Operation Rebound Ironman 70.3 California include:
-Ret. 1st Sergeant John Blue (lost leg below the knee in Iraq)
-Lieutenant Colonel Patty Collins (lost her leg below the knee)
The warriors competing on relay teams include:
-Paralympic swimmer and Ret. 2nd Lieutenant Melissa Stockwell (lost her leg above the knee in Iraq)
-Paralympic Gold Medalist and Former Reconnaissance Marine Oscar “Oz” Sanchez (spinal cord injury)
-Ret. Sergeant Michael Gallardo (lost his leg below the knee in Iraq)
-Ret. Corporal Evan Morgan (lost his left leg below the knee, right leg above the knee and vision in one eye in Iraq)
-Petty Officer 1-Class Casey Tibbs (lost his leg below the knee)
-Ret. Staff Sergeant Chris Chandler (lost his leg below the knee in Afghanistan).
I hope you will join myself and Jo as we help to raise funds to support these and other injured troops who are now waging their own personal war to regain their confidence and competitive spirit by participating in various sports.
We know that in these tough economic times any donation is a sacrifice. Please do not hesitate, as no amount is too small or too large! Every dollar will help toward prosthetics or a handcycle for an athlete and former member of our military.
Ironman California 70.3
As many of you know, 2009 will be a banner year for my relatively short career so far in the sport of triathlon. Back in 2008, Jo and I had made a commitment to do a triathlon together, and who would've thought...we underestimated our capabilities. Jo ended up doing two triathlons, while I pushed myself to do four!
Since then, I have kept the momentum going in 2009 and have set a goal this year to join the ranks of the rare breed of men and women who have earned the right to call themselves "Ironman". Considered one of the defining milestones in triathlon, an Ironman triathlon consists of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride, and ending with a 26.2-mile marathon run. God willing, and with the support of my family and friends, my dream will become a reality!
As part of my preparation to achieve this goal, I will be racing at the Ford Ironman California 70.3 in April. This race is exactly half the distance of the full Ironman. Just having the opportunity to enter this race was a big deal for me...and now that I am racing for a cause to help the injured men and women of our armed forces, the deal has just gotten a lot sweeter!
If you wish to contribute to this cause or to learn more about it, please click here http://ORCalifornia09.kintera.org/marvin.
Thank you for your support and God bless the USA!
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