Goals
(At the bottom of this page are the children's charities I have chosen, and the donation breakdown regarding them.)
WHAT I WANT TO DO:
For my "International Triathlon for Kids" I am going to attempt to swim, ride my bike, and run across Canada, around the USA (including Hawaii), Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and parts of Europe to raise funds and awareness for the children's charities I have chosen. Some have thought that this means I am going to go around these countries competing in triathlons, but that is not the case. When I say I am going to swim/bike/run around these countries I mean that I am going to cover all the ground myself under my own power. Whenever I find swimmable water I will swim, and the rest of the time I will be on my bike and running (I will compete in triathlons along the way if they coincide with my course and timing--I will rarely turn down the chance to do a triathlon.). I will also be stopping at children's hospitals and schools along the way to say hello to the kids.
WHY I AM DOING IT:
Despite all the pain I have experienced in my life I have still been able to see how fortunate I am. I get to call the West Kootenay region of southern British Columbia my home. It is a beautiful place where many only dream of vacationing. Even with all the pain and barriers I have had to transcend in my life it is still nothing next to the suffering that way too many people experience globally. I feel we are all in this together, and being from a country like Canada, there are no excuses to not try to help out our fellow man elsewhere. Through all the tragedy in the world it is the children who suffer most. That just isn't right. Every child deserves the right to just be kids like Hailey...to run, jump, and play healthy and happily with no worries. The smile on a child's face and laughter in their voice is one of the most beautiful gifts of life. If we give the kids a healthy happy start to life I feel that opens the door to limitless possibilities. I want to do my best to give that opportunity to as many kids in the world as possible.
There is a secondary reason for my journey, which is equally as important as the first... It is very evident that our world is in a crucial balance on so many levels right now. I really do believe that our kids are going to be the make-or-break generation to see whether we flourish as a global community, or are going to have to struggle to survive. The best chance we have at flourishing is by opening those doors of limitless possibilities for the children...because taking care of the children is taking care of everyone's future.
MY TIMELINE:
My timeline has changed a lot as I am waiting for this economic madness to loosen its grip somewhat before I embark on a global fundraisinig campaign. However...
The entire trip will take the better part of two years...and demand that I do the equivalent of 4-5 triathlons a week throughout that time. The only thing that will cut this epic journey short is if my skeleton starts to basically crumble from the pounding it will take--in the way of fractures and the like. I won't let the pain I already have swirling within my body stop me. If it works out that I run my body right into the ground, and I help save even one child in the process, it will all be waaay beyond worth it.
DONATION BREAKDOWN:
I want to help children locally as well as in countries of poverty by walking both paths of, “Think global, act local” at the same time. **In saying that I mean that 50% of each donation will go towards selected Children’s Hospitals within the countries I travel through (local). (Unless I figure out a better way before I leave on this journey, I am going to give a choice of the Children's Hospital in key cities for the donated funds to go to: In the first year within Canada and the USA I am looking at...Vancouver, Toronto, Boston, New York City, Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles, Portland or Seattle, and Chicago.). The other 50% will be broken down as such into these charities (global):
20%--Right to Play www.righttoplay.com
20%--Feeding and treating kids in countries of poverty (I am still researching which one)
The final 10 per cent are like personal picks for me:
2.5%--Childhood Cancer Foundation—Candle Lighters Canada www.candlelighters.ca
2.5%--Lance Armstrong Foundation www.livestrong.org
2.5%--Bridge School (San Francisco area) www.bridgeschool.org
2.5%--Kootenay Kids (For local kids programs in my community.) www.kootenaykids.ca
**after administration fees, such as PayPal’s small charges, etc, which I will keep as minimal as possible. I have been advised through several charity foundations I have spoken with that the typical administration fees range from 8% to 20%, so I am going to keep it at the minimum of 8% as I want as much of the funds I raise to go where it belongs...TO THE KIDS!
Me speaking to the children at the South Simcoe Montessori and Elementary School in Barrie, Ontario on September 10 2007