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SelflessnessT H R O U G H S P O R T

A major gateway to the sport oftriathlon, charity-racing programspull thousands of people of all athleticbackgrounds offthe couch and ontothe start line. The experience can belife-changing, not only for those thatbenefit from the fundraising efforts,but also for the athletes involved, bycreating a sense of purpose greaterthan ones own fitness and accom-plishment. Here we profile eight suchprograms, and also share the personalefforts of an individual with substan-tial ties to the sport.

B Y H O L LY B E N N E T T

COURTESYMATTLANKES/LIVESTRONG

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In tandem with Lance Armstrongs wide-

ly publicized return to triathlon, Team

Livestrong aims to make a major state-

ment in the multisport world starting in

2012. In addition to its well-established

ride and run events, Livestrongs Lance

Armstrong Foundation (LAF) recently

launched a new partnership with the

World Triathlon Corporation with the

goal of raising more than $1 million for

people affected by cancer. The Lance

factor is sure to have a swift and sub-

stantial impact: Within three weeks of

the programs announcement, more than

170 athletes had registered for Team

Livestrong triathlon events.

T H E G I V E & G E T : Commitment to fundraise for the

LAF (minimum requirement range:

$600$1400 per event; athletes

already race-registered may join

Team Livestrong with no minimum

commitment, however a small

milestone exists in order to earn the

signature black and yellow race kit)Guaranteed entry (complimentary

or paid, depending on race) to a

variety of triathlon events including

Ironman 70.3 Texas, Ironman 70.3

Florida and Ironman France

Livestrong tri top, hat and race belt

Personalized fundraising website

and a library of fundraising tools

(including Six Easy Steps to Raising

$1000 and How to Start a Social

Media Campaign)

One-on-one Livestrong staff

support

The largest program worldwide to pair

endurance sports with fundraising is the

Leukemia & Lymphoma Societys (LLS)

Team in Training (TNT). TNT athletes

telltale purple kits and rallying cry of Go

Team! underscore participants heartfelt

support in the battle against blood

cancers. TNT is well known for its coach-

ing staff, led by six-time Ironman world

champion Dave Scott. Many TNT alumni

go on to become program coaches, team

captains or fundraising mentors. To date,

TNT has raised more than $1.2 billion to

fund cancer research and to enhance the

lives of blood cancer patients.

T H E G I V E & G E T : Commitment to fundraise for the LLS

(minimum requirement varies by event

and participants proximity to race venue) Complimentary race entry (options

include Lavaman, St. Anthonys and

Wildflower), travel and accommodation

45-month local training program with

weekly group workouts, or choose new TNT

Flex, a customized, online training option

Certified coaching staff

Mentors for fundraising support

Customized website for fundraising

Personal connection with a patient

honoree to deepen participants

understanding of TNTs mission

T E A M I N

T R A I N I N GTeamintraining.org

T E A M

L I V E S T R O N GLivestrong.org

XTERRAPHOTOS

B A L L O U S K I E SBallouskies.com

Pittsburgh-based Ballou Skies was cre-

ated by Ty Ballou to benefit his 24-year-old

son, Ryan, born with Duchenne muscular

dystrophy (DMD). The charity aims to

raise muscular dystrophy awareness and

funds for the heart clinic at Ohio State

University, which performs heart scans of

those afflicted with DMD to warn of future

problems and to gain further knowledge of

the disease.

T H E G I V E & G E T : No minimum fundraising requirement

team is selected based on high

engagement and concern for the cause.

Team includes several world-class

athletessix team members qualified for

the Ironman World Championship last year.

Sponsors include Blueseventy, Newton,

Coke, Powerade Zero and more, which

provide funding, products and services.

Creativity is encouraged in fundraising

and ranges from Biggest Loser

competitions in schools to sales of Ballou

Skies-branded peanut butter.

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Join the fight against multiple myeloma,

an incurable blood cancer, by racing in a

triathlon, cycling or running event in con-

junction with the Multiple Myeloma Re-

search Foundation (MMRF). Athletes can

register for a premium MMRF partner

event or a race of their choosing, and 90

percent of all funds raised by athletes on

behalf of the MMRF go toward research

and related programming.

T H E G I V E & G E T :Commitment to fundraise for the

MMRF (minimum requirement:

$1,000$5,000 per event, plus

variable race registration fee)

Guaranteed race entry (options

include Ironman U.S. Championship,

Escape From Alcatraz and Nautica

NYC Triathlon)

Fundraising tools and tips including

personal fundraising page,

downloadable marketing and

promotional materials and sample

e-mails and letters Training programs for athletes of all

levels; Ironman program includes

training plan and expert advice

from 19-time Ironman and exercise

physiologist Tom Holland.

Race-day apparel, gift box, T-shirts

and signage for athletes cheering

squad

The Run/Bike/Tri Your Own Race

Program option includes full

program benefits while allowing

athletes to fundraise in conjunction

with any endurance event.

M M R F S E N D U R A N C E

P R O G R A MThemmrf.org

COURTESYMMRF

Want a well-structured way to race and

fundraise for the charity of your choice?

The Janus Charity Challenge (JCC) was

designed for you. Athletes compete in

Life Time Fitness Triathlon Series events,

raising funds for any verified 501(c)(3)

nonprofit organization. The JCC program

has generated $51 million in donations

since its inception in 2001.

T H E G I V E A N D G E T : Commitment to fundraise for the charity

of your choice (the JCC has no minimum

requirement for participation)

Paid registration is required in one of

the following Life Time Fitness events:

Nautica South Beach Triathlon, Capital

of Texas Triathlon, Life Time Minneapolis

Triathlon, Life Time Chicago Triathlon,

Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Triathlon

or Toyota U.S. Open Triathlon.

Opportunity for top fundraisers to earn

additional charity prize purse donations

from Janus

Exclusive JCC triathlon race tank

JANUS CHARI TYCHALLENGEJanuscharitychallenge.com

The Challenged Athletes Foundation

(CAF) offers triathletes numerous ways

to support the organizations mission

of providing opportunities and grants

to physically challenged individuals to

pursue active, athletic lifestyles. CAFs

signature event, the Aspen Medical

Products San Diego Triathlon Challenge,

offers the experience of racing alongside

more than 200 challenged athletes and

Ironman celebrities (Chrissie was there

last year). Or opt to Race for a Reason at

CAFs premier partner events or any event

of your choosing.

T H E G I V E A N D G E T : Race for a Reason requires a commitment

to fundraise for CAF (registration fee and/or minimum fundraising requirement:

$2500$3000 per event).

Guaranteed entry (complimentary or

paid) to various Ironman, 70.3, Nautica

Triathlon and Muddy Buddy events

Fundraising Web page, tools and assis-

tance from CAFs fundraising managers

Additional incentives: CAF gear, prizes, VIP

access and inspiring pre-race luncheon

C H AL L E NGE D

ATHLETES

FOU ND AT I ONChallengedathletes.org

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Honoring the Red,White and BlueAs a professional triathlete, Tim

ODonnell enjoys a lifestyle highlighted

by training and racing all over the world.

Yet he is firmly tied to his roots in the

U.S. Navy, where he first cut his triathlon

teeth leading the Naval Academy MensTeam to two U.S. National Triathlon

Championship titles and later pursued

his Olympic dream while based at the

U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado

Springs, Colo.

As a former naval officer, ODonnell

is a steadfast advocate for his military

brethren, especially those facing the

challenge of having been injured in the

line of duty. Our wounded veterans face

unique obstacles returning from combat

and transitioning back to civilian life,

says ODonnell. They need meaningful

support during this critical time of

starting over.As an ambassador for Team Red,

White & Blue (Teamrwb.org), ODonnell

promotes the organizations mission

to transform the way wounded

veterans are reintegrated into society.

ODonnell aligned his advocacy with

his October 2011 debut at the Ironman

World Championship, raising funds

and awareness for the cause that is so

close to his heart. Along with traditional

call-outs for donations, ODonnell rallied

19 top triathletesincluding Chrissie

Wellington, Matt Reed, Mirinda Carfrae,

Julie Dibens and legends of the sport

Mark Allen and Dave Scottto sign a setof Profile Design Volna Carbon Aerobars

that were auctioned for the cause. All

told, ODonnells efforts generated more

than $14,000 for Team RWB.

Team Fox encourages athletes to Run

Like a Fox in the fight against Parkin-sons disease, a progressive neurological

disorder affecting more than 5 million

people worldwide. A branch of the Mi-

chael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinsons

Research (MJFF), Team Fox provides

training and fundraising guidance and

support for triathletes and runners wish-

ing to help fund research in the treat-

ment and hunt for a cure for Parkinsons.

T H E G I V E A N D G E T : Commitment to fundraise for the

MJFF (minimum requirement:

$1,000$5,000 per event)

Guaranteed complimentary race

entry (options include Ironman

U.S. Championship, Escape From

Alcatraz and Nautica New York City

Triathlon)

Fundraising resources, such as a

customizable Web page, sample

letters, Team Fox-branded materials

and fundraising tips Additional benefits vary by event

and may include Team Fox tri

suit, organized group workouts,

online training support, hotel

accommodations and race weekend

support, and special celebrations.

The Team Fox Team option allows

fundraising athletes to train together

toward a common goal.

T E A M F O XTeamfox.org

A T H L E T E SF O R A C U R EAthletesforacure.org

T H E G I V E A N D G E T : Commitment to fundraise for the PCF (min-

imum requirement range: $750$5,000 per

event)

Guaranteed complimentary entry to a pre-

mier race (options include Ironman Canada,

Ironman U.S. Championship, Ironman

Arizona and St. Anthonys)

Opportunity to earn sponsor incentives

including custom race kits, triathlon gear

and travel discounts

The Any Event, Anytime, Anywhere option

has no minimum requirement or compli-

mentary entry, but provides an online fun-

draising template, allowing athletes to join

AFAC through any event of their choosing.

As a charitable arm of the Prostate

Cancer Foundation (PCF), Athletes for

a Cure (AFAC) supports individuals in

their efforts to run, bike, walk or race for

a cure. Athletes choose to race in either

an AFAC Featured Event (high-profile

triathlons and marathons which are

often otherwise sold out) or the Any

Event, Anytime, Anywhere option.

COURTESYTEAMFOX,NILSNILSEN