Let's Go!

Hey Guys,

I am running the Publix Half Marathon in February with the Kyle Pease Foundation and I need your help to $1400:

Short Version:

Kyle Pease Foundation (KPF) is all about inclusion and exists to help persons with disabilities meet their individual needs through sports. I love what KPF stands for. Not only am I running with KPF, but I am also running with the KP part of KPF. That's right, Kyle Pease (aka Kona, aka KPeasey) and I will be running around Road Atlanta together. I legit couldn't be more pumped. It's not every day you get to be with royalty, but Publix Half Marathon will be my chance. Donations will be used to make sure Kyle and all other KPF athletes have a first class experience at the race. Additionally, this is KPF's biggest fundraiser of the year and helps KPF support their athletes year-round. To see who your money helps, check out this short video from giving Tuesday this past year:

For even more information about KPF check out this page: https://www.kylepeasefoundation.org/.

Long Version:

Four years ago when riding MARTA, Atlanta’s mass transit system, I got the pleasure of meeting my dude Kyle Pease. Kyle approached me on the train to ask me about an Ironman bag tag on my luggage. He told me he’d completed 2 Ironmen himself. I was intrigued. Here's a picture of Kyle and me from that day:

A little back story on Kyle, he was diagnosed with spastic quadriplegia cerebral palsy at a young age and is reliant on a wheelchair to get around. And for those of you who don’t know what an Ironman is, it’s a one day race that is comprised of a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and at the end you run a full marathon (a 26.2 mile cool down because why not?). Kyle let me know that he and his brother Brent had been competing in races as a team and breaking down barriers. Kyle and Brent (“Team KPeasey”) have completed over 100 races together. As of today, they have completed 4 Ironmen, including the World Championship in Kona (THIS IS A REALLY BIG DEAL), the NYC marathon, and even helped create the push assist division for the Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta among dozens of other things. They are legit legends in the endurance racing community.

Their story really caught on with national media when they did the Ironman in Kona. What they do as brothers is incredibly loving and inspiring, we need more Kpeasey in the world and in our lives. You can read about them here on a small site called CNN (This article is NOT fake news):https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/29/sport/kyle-and-brent-pease-ironman-world-championship-kona/index.html

They came out with a book (Beyond the Finish) - that details their story. It is a fantastic read. Kyle is a human version of Red Bull exploding with motivation. He doesn’t use the word “no”, even though he has every excuse to. He is a legend and I am better for knowing him. Our family is too. Justin loves him and we talk and hang with Kona often.

What I love about Kyle and Brent is their story doesn’t just involve them. They started the Kyle Pease Foundation (KPF), which allows individuals with disabilities to participate in similar races while the foundation takes care of logistics: equipment, push athletes, etc. Their message is built on inclusion: that everyone who wants to participate, CAN. I have had the pleasure of being part of KPF in a few races and it is awesome. At the end of February, Kona and I are going to race around Road Atlanta and complete a half marathon. We need your help to make sure Kyle and all KPF athletes have a first class experience. Please consider donating to make big things happen with KPF. No amount is too small or big.

Thanks!

Matt