Who should we support?

Hey everyone

We're going to have a competition to see who will win Roth between John and I. We are going to do this as a way to raise money for a charity. We want to know who you feel we should do this for and why?

Kia Kaha

Bevan

Comments

[MurrayLap]

My IM China fund for next month! Then my Epic Camp fund, followed by my Kia Kaha fund. Finally Earth Hour Everyday so we can campaign to reduce Daylight Saving in NZ, so we can train in the morning in sunshine, rather than having to train in the dark and cold in the morning!

[uli from Dublin/IRL]

Without a doubt it's chasingkimbia.

http://www.chasingkimbia.com/auction.php (click on the video)

While Africa has always been the forgotten continent, things in Kenya got even worse recently. Chasing Kimbia is a project around Elite African runners that supports the locals. You could either sponsor a kid's school expenses or donate to the rebuilding of the girl's track in Iten.

Matt is doing a great job and published fantastic videos about the life and training of Kenyan Elite runners in their preperation for US and European Marathons.

I am friends with Matt and would be happy to introduce you guys to him. Kenya needs us more than ever!

[Kat]

...no, give it to the "Kat wants a new Cervelo"-Fund... ;-)

okay, seriously now - my suggestion, inspired by the stories and lifes of Mark Inglis and John Maclean, is raising money for a charity that supports people with physical abilities to take up a sport or even pursue a competitive career.
We take it for granted that we have all of our limbs and no disabilities and can swim, run and bike but how about those who don't - so I think we should share the love - because we are lovers and not fighters, right?

The Challenged Athletes Foundation (www.challengedathletes.org) or the John Maclean Foundation (www.jmf.com.au/foundation) would be two examples...

[ed hawkins]

i dont have a huge opinion on which charity the cash should go to, but i do believe that the suggestiong that part of it should go to the winner of the place/time Roth competition between bev and john is NOT the right idea.

ALL the cash should go to a charity and the individual should possibly receive an art of tri Tee? (as theyve not been handed out recently to your favourite post or have they? sorry if they have).

Bev as you can probably tell, I'm not in my happy place at the mo - Fegan's idea! Ha! - the cheeky lad, it was my idea with the Art of Tri ironmantalk.com Tees last week, but i will credit his slogans. great ideas.

keep up the great work guys

[oli]

zero to hero where you support upcoming triatheletes like scott neyedi.

[Vince]

I'm with Kat, that's a perfect suggestion. I think that a couple of pro Ironmen raising money through their sport for challenged athletes sends out the right message, triathlon is a sport of the people with a beautiful lack of vanity or elitist attitudes for the most part, unlike many other pro sports.
Also I have to mention Janes appeal, Jane Tomlinson was an amazing lady. Her charity is UK based, maybe we (as this group is) should aim more globally perhaps? But I do urge you to read her book, after all she was an Ironwoman.

[Seano the Porno]

In a similar "spread the love" message, what better way to spread love than giving running shoes?!
Check this out: http://triforhope.org/ and http://triforafrica.com/

The charity, amongst other things, gets the multitude of second-hand shoes across to Africa.

Pretty cool huh?
Also concur with The Kat - John Maclean is one amazing dude who does some big things through the Ironman WA event.

[mark the spark (Belgium)]

I agree with the buddies before, John and Bev have already enough swag that they keep to themselves and I am pretty sure that they will donate their share anyway. So, to cut a long story short, I would recommend the Marc Herremans foundation, as the guy is not only an impressive triathlete (unfortunately handicapped now)but continues to spread the love to kids who would otherwise have no chance of walking. Wether you retain the idea or not does not matter, I'll gladly donate to whatever charity spreads the love or gets fat-asses off their but and into sport.
Regards and keep it up! Kia Keha!

[fegan]

Ed - credit where credit is due but dry your eyes mate ;~)

You could go big i.e http://www.unicef.org/ but maybe its worth sorcing a smaller local charity. That way you can actually see the impact of the money you're donating without a %age of it going to fund the cogs of big machines that modern charities are.

How about IMT sponsoring a childrens tri or aquathon event somewhere (aquathon aways handy as no bikes are required), maybe with the aim of making it an annual event.

[Bainsy]

I agree with the 'Zero to Hero' suggestion.......

Great idea to support up and coming ironmen in this sport where pro athletes are generally struggling to get cash to travel to races and survive.

[wonderboy]

What about a small charity local to you guys? Where you can actually see what the money is doing to help. There are lots of big charities that do great jobs but charity starts at home.....or close to it! What about the tramp sitting outside the local off license or chip shop?!

Chrissie has some pretty good ideas for charity work. Something about toilets in tibet I think.

[Chrissie]

Hi guys, Its hard to choose which cause as there are so many worthwhile ones out there BUT in a similar vein to some of the other posts I think the chosen one should fit in with whats being done to raise the money thus supporting physically challenged athletes or even perhaps those charities set up in memoriam of triathletes/cyclists killed or injured while training? Watched a dvd of Kona (I think from 2003) and wept buckets at the sheer grit of this guy with no legs competing....also the guy who pushed his son in the wheelchair for the whole ironman......very touching and humbling

[Chrissie]

PS But as they say charity begins at home so my Orbea Ordu fund could be done with a hefty cash injection...:)

[james]

first and foremost don't give it to the bloody let levi ride campaign, that sucks! you could dangle the dollars on a stick in front of Bevan's tribars though, he'd be smacking it for hours trying to get hold of the cash....

Speaking seriously i worked for a charity in Kenya met a guy called Charles mutumba who had come second in their cycling nationals on a crappy town bike, he should have gone to the olympics by right but missed out 'cos he couldn't pay the bribe. I went riding with him a few times, his enthusiasm for running and riding (you don't swim in that part of the world unless you back yourself against crocs) really opened my eyes to how much fun sport can and should be. I had a similair experience teaching streetkids sport in Venezuela and it was great to see their crazy enthusiasm when they all came to watch me racing ( i need to work on their feed zone skills....). I think the money should go to introducing kids to sports when their financial background keeps them out of it.
something like bikes4africa http://www.jole1000.org/bikes4africa.html or re-cycle http://www.re-cycle-east.org/

time to go eat some cake!
James

[Thomas Peoples]

Project VIper

http://www.tritalk.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=37798

Project VIper’s overall objective is to encourage and support the participation of Visually Impaired (“VI”) athletes in triathlon. The TriTalk community have set up a team of like-minded VI people to train for and compete in the Mazda London Triathlon. The tandems are now ready and the kit is now available. Various members of the community have volunteered their own training and racing time to help the VI athletes in achieving their goal in the London Triathlon and at the National AWAD championships.

With that mostly sorted - here's who the money should go to:

https://www.charitiestrust.org/members_data/event/project_viper/index.html

Thanks

[Scott Horns]

I seem to recall hearing that Christie Wellington helps/ works with a charity organization that supplies water to villages in third world countries. It seems that in this modern day the thought of someone not even having the basic and essential life giving properties or water is crazy. I think Ironmantalk should approach her and see what she thinks about the idea. She seems quite open to helping others and would provide a platform for a bigger audience, since she is the IMH champ. Having access to water, let alone clean water, is a given these days. However many millions go w/out everyday. As we all know you can not even start to treat more serious aliments if the basic essentials are not even provided.
Scott

[jim flynn]

I've got a better way to raise money.
Bevan should threaten to wear that green wig again, and ask people to send in cash to stop him.

[Hector Z]

I have to say that my full hearted vote is for the Challenged Athletes foundation (CAF). I am new to triathlons (have been in the sport for three years); and I remember the first time I learned of Rudy Garcia Tolson. That was the most inspiring chronicle I heard until… He past me in the Malibu sprint triathlon in California :-/

The Challenged Athletes foundation realizes many dreams of aspiring athletes that have been shut down by physical limitations. They grant (free) prosthetics, wheel chairs, and enabling devices to less fortunate physically challenged athletes.

~hector