The Coonbottom Tri Club
TAKING THE FIGHT TO ALS
What is ALS?
ALS is Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease. ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that attacks motor neurons in the brain (upper motor neurons) and spinal cord (lower motor neurons).
Here are some alarming statistics. Since 1869, the ALS "ORPHAN" diesase death toll is 20,549,596. That breaks down to 411 deaths per day, or 17 deaths per hour. There are no survivors, ZERO.
As I think back on my life, what I've done and left undone, I want to do more, more that matters for someone or something other than myself, which I am often too proud of. A few years ago I vegged in front of the telly watching the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii. It was awesome to see the pro's, and how strong and fast they are. But what brought me to my knee's then, and now as I write, was the story of Jon Blais, aka "The Blazeman." In 2005, Jon finished the Ironman at Kona with just thirty minutes remaining in the seventeen hour alloted time. The following year, Jon was in a wheelchair, unable to compete, and in less than a year from then, he died.
On October 15th, 2005, Jon became the only athlete with ALS (Lou Gehrigs Disease) to finish an Ironman. He said he was going to finish, even if he had to roll the entire run portion, due to the severe cramps. He made it to the finish line and finished with what is now refered to as the "The Blazeman Roll," which is done by supporters at races around the world, in honor of Jon, but more so to Take the Fight To ALS. http://waronals.com/index.php
For me, it's even more personal, my cousin David has been fighting ALS for well over twelve years, and I mean fighting. God blessed him with a wonderful wife, Becky, and lots of family and friends to fight with him. Here's a glimpse of their lives with ALS. As mentioned on the Home Page, David died in 2007. http://www.wfts.com/video/news/2006/08/0825cfa.shtml.
As I often say, if you've made it this far, well, you made it this far. Thanks for all that you're going to do for this cause. love ya, dk
ALS is Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease. ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that attacks motor neurons in the brain (upper motor neurons) and spinal cord (lower motor neurons).
Here are some alarming statistics. Since 1869, the ALS "ORPHAN" diesase death toll is 20,549,596. That breaks down to 411 deaths per day, or 17 deaths per hour. There are no survivors, ZERO.
As I think back on my life, what I've done and left undone, I want to do more, more that matters for someone or something other than myself, which I am often too proud of. A few years ago I vegged in front of the telly watching the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii. It was awesome to see the pro's, and how strong and fast they are. But what brought me to my knee's then, and now as I write, was the story of Jon Blais, aka "The Blazeman." In 2005, Jon finished the Ironman at Kona with just thirty minutes remaining in the seventeen hour alloted time. The following year, Jon was in a wheelchair, unable to compete, and in less than a year from then, he died.
On October 15th, 2005, Jon became the only athlete with ALS (Lou Gehrigs Disease) to finish an Ironman. He said he was going to finish, even if he had to roll the entire run portion, due to the severe cramps. He made it to the finish line and finished with what is now refered to as the "The Blazeman Roll," which is done by supporters at races around the world, in honor of Jon, but more so to Take the Fight To ALS. http://waronals.com/index.php
For me, it's even more personal, my cousin David has been fighting ALS for well over twelve years, and I mean fighting. God blessed him with a wonderful wife, Becky, and lots of family and friends to fight with him. Here's a glimpse of their lives with ALS. As mentioned on the Home Page, David died in 2007. http://www.wfts.com/video/news/2006/08/0825cfa.shtml.
As I often say, if you've made it this far, well, you made it this far. Thanks for all that you're going to do for this cause. love ya, dk
