Ironman with a cause

When I was younger, I took my athleticism, health, and lifestyle for granted. That all changed after it hit home some years ago before college.

After my grandma died when I was younger (I think I was 10?), I had thought she passed from age and that was it (later I would find out it was Pancreatic Cancer that took her). There, my Aunt Carol  came to start living with my family. From there, she would change mine and my families lives with happiness and heartbreak.

Before my Aunt Carol had passed, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. 

Aunt Carol

We figured, it isn't great news but better than many other cancers that aren't as cureable. After surgies and treatment, we thought that was it. Maybe we thought this because we have never been through something like this, the doctors told us so, and we caught it quick enough? Naiveness... The cancer had spread through her body and mainly to her bones. Nothing we could do other than treatments. After a few more years, of what seemed like a quality life, Carol passed. I started to take life a little more seriously.

At some point, I lost grasp of what had happened. Maybe the T.V. news, life becoming busy, starting a family, etc. It seemed that I started to take things for granted again. Life seems to know things like this and BOOM cancer struck again, this time a little closer to home.

My father, Tim, was diagnosed with Stage 4 Oral cancer just months ago. Luckily again, it wasn't something worse such as Multiple Myeloma (being uncurable). After multiple surgeries, months of treaments, tests, MRI's and other scans the cancer seems to be gone.

My father Tim with Aunt Carol

Now the struggle of going through Oral Cancer and what the lingering affects are, it is a continued battle for my family. A social man who enjoyed yelling names at sporting events, speaking to people, presenting at work and one to order steak over salad now has to battle to get back to that stage. Liquid diets, physical therapy, and finding himself again has opened my eyes.

Life is short and don't take advantage.

So through these stories, I've decided to do another Ironman this year. Not for me (like the last two), but for those who are struggling with cancer. We either are, or know a family/person who is going through cancer. I'd like to know that I did something for them. Specifically, those who are suffereing from Multiple Myeloma because this is truly an incureable cancer. The organization I will participate with is: Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) on their PowerTeam at Ironman Lake Placid on July 27th, 2014.

My goal: To raise $5,000 for this organization.

Result: Know that we have done something for these families that are struggling

MMRF is in the top 1% of non-profit organizations and out of all of the donations they recieve, 90% of it goes directly to researching Multiple Myeloma. For more information regarding this organization, please visit their webiste here.

If you would like to help me reach my goal, please visit my fundraising website for Ironman Lake Placid here. (http://www.active.com/donate/14mmrfimlakeplacid/LPCZeman)

Anything helps! Thank you!