2015 Race Across the West

June 16,2015

So it’s race day. It’s finally here. The prep, and inspections and pageantry of RAW and RAAM behind us, it’s now final adjustments and getting ready to race. The anticipation continues to build. I feel it in almost every cell of my body.

It is a real thrill to be back in Oceanside with my teammate Anne-Marie Alderson. Our excitement feeds off each other. And this year we return with another incredible crew, people who a truly have our backs and will keep us safe. 

Yesterday was a special day: We passed inspection, talked about racing with the Pulmonary Hypertension Association with the press, and pre-rode the initial part of the course to note the first transition points.

And in between those moments, Team PHenomenal Hope had our big Team Meeting – with our friends and PHriends in the PH Community. It was a reunion. And it was meeting new people. It was sharing stories, smiles and sincere well-wishes. It was a rallying call to race together for our common cause of raising PH awareness and funds to find a cure.

And after yesterday, I realized again how this Race Across the West – no matter how epic – will start and this race will end. It will be exciting, and I hope fun for you if you follow along as well. We will cover 860 miles in a little over 2 days. We will climb mountains, take on harrowing descents, battle the heat, and motivate each other as we go – racers and crew – across the West 24/7, united towards our goal of reaching the finish line. We will show people and most of all show ourselves the power of teamwork and focus in taking on any challenges that we face. And we will face challenges.

But as I mentioned, our race will start and our race will end. Yet for our PHriends in the PH community, their race continues everyday. They are the true PH warriors. They are the true heroes. While our team is a group of people racing to make a difference, the truth is we race to shine the spotlight on them and our common cause, our biggest race – the race against PH and ultimately toward a cure. Just as a humble RAW team has come together to strive for great things, it is my belief that our community of patients, supporters, healthcare providers, researchers, and advocates can also make what seems almost impossible possible. 
So I hope you enjoy these next few days. If you want to follow along, please like Team PHenomenal Hope on Facebook, follow @TeamPHenomHope on Twitter, Instagram, track our team on Tractalis or watch the media coverage on ridefarther.com.

Please know that you – our families and friends and PHriends – are all a part of our team and will be in our hearts in this race and always.
‪#‎TeamPHenomenalHope‬ ‪#‎RAW2015‬ ‪#‎PHAthlete‬ ‪#‎PHAssociation‬ ‪#‎PHAware‬‪#‎PHADaysOfUnity‬ ‪#‎AlmostGoTime‬

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