Why?

Care for a little truth?

I had ridden LOTOJA several times before I decided I needed a Purpose (Porpoise) to keep doing it. Having been involved with part of the initial funding for what was then known as Huntsman Hometown Heroes (HHH), it seemed natural to kind of migrate that way. Add to that the number of people in my life that have been afflicted by the "Big-C" (as John Wayne coined it) - it was the place to go. Sometime that first year of doing the Porpoise, my cousin (of which I hadn't seen, or talked to in nearly 30 years) was diagnosed with a very aggressive type of brain cancer. The night before the race, while putting my gear and kit together, I felt prompted to write her name on my left sleeve of my Huntsman Jersey (shown below). The next morning while rolling into the starting corral, I had my daughter take a picture of my sleeve and send it to my sisters - as I was sure they'd pass it along to my cousin. It was a particularly tough race that year, as in I really struggled. I distinctly  remember looking at my sleeve a couple times when I felt I was suffering, perhaps for a little inspiration I needed to get over the line. Just after finishing (Saturday Evening), my daughter took another picture of my sleeve. We did the customary check presentation at the awards program Sunday morning and headed for home. Sometime Monday morning I was told my dear cousin had lost her battle with that insidious disease, sometime between Saturday night and Monday morning. Not one to always believe in coincidence, it really sunk in - like HARD. The next year her husband also succumbed to another type of cancer, of whose name also adorned my jersey that particular year. And so it is, the purpose (the Porpoise) for continuing the effort.

Truth is......they all cut deep.

Tribute to a friend - August 2017

Hope - Final Post 2017

It's gotta hurt a little if it's real..............