The Mission

I'm doing my first ever Olympic distance triathlon this summer. It is by far the greatest physical challenge I have ever attempted - a 3/4 mile swim, a 25 mile bike, and a 10K run. Especially considering that all of my life I've never considered myself to be much of an athlete.

So, why the blog? It's because it's not about the race. I need your help. Recently, a young man I've never met decided to take his own life. One of the major factors in his decision to commit suicide was the relentless and sometimes daily bullying he suffered at school. Among other things, this young man endured constant taunts directed at his sexual orientation. The boy was 11. He was a good student, was involved in extracurricular activities like football, had friends and a supportive family. And yet he came to believe that anything, anything would be better than another day of bullying. anything. even death. That's what bullying can do. It can make kids forget all of the positive things in their lives because all of the negative things they hear slowly take away their own positive self image. And this young man isn't alone. More than two thirds of middle school students reported being assaulted or harrassed at school in the previous year. Only 41% of students said they felt very safe in school. I was once a bullied kid.

That's why I'm teaming up with GLSEN, a national organization dedicated to eradicating bullying in schools. They believe, like I do, that school should be a safe place for kids to learn, explore, and grow. And whether a kid is gay or straight, expresses gender in a different way than everyone is used to, or hasn't even given stuff like sexual orientation a second thought, that kid should never have to endure bullying about it.

So, I'm raising money to help GLSEN achieve their goal. I'm committed to running an Olympic distance triathlon by the end of the summer with a couple of baby steps along the way. I need you to donate to my fundraising page through GLSEN's main website page by clicking here. Any amount helps. And if you don't feel comfortable donating on line, feel free to mail a check into GLSEN at the address listed on their webpage www.glsen.org. Just make sure that you list that it's for my triathlon challenge. And feel free to return to this blog for regular updates on my progress - words and pictures as I take this challenge head on.

I had the opportunity to grow up to be all of the things that I ever dreamed I could be. And all of the things that I never thought I could - like being an athlete. Help me help GLSEN make that a reality for another generation of kids.


Donate now.