I am meeting the most amazing people through Challenged Athletes Foundation.  The pre-events for the big day – the San Diego Tri Challenge – are so phenomenal, so inspiring, that if I had to leave and go home without doing the tri I would consider this trip a major Win.

Meet Able Rose.

He was born with spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus, and a few other “fun” health issues.  He is the youngest Wheel Chair Motor Cross participant ever.  He began when he was 18 months old.  Seriously.

When Abel was six months old his father built him his first wheelchair, because nobody manufactures wheelchairs that small.  I’m told Abel was zipping around & popping wheelies constantly.  And if you meet Abel, you have no trouble at all believing that, trust me!

At a year old, Able was transitioned to a standard wheelchair, but the biggest change came when, at 17 months old, he received a custom-built wheelchair from Mike Box, who is the designer and crafter of the most colorful and individualized wheels I’ve ever seen.  This chair fits Abel’s tiny, powerful body like a glove; it allows him to race around at speeds that would be unstable on a standard wheelchair; it gives him the ability to turn on a dime.  And, most importantly to Abel, his Mike Box work-of-art gifts him with the opportunity to do Wheel Chair Motor Cross.

My service dog Luke is in love with Abel.  Luke has really good taste :0)  This kid, This chair = Why I Love Challenged Athletes Foundation!

Please, if your’e able, help me help CAF help more kids like Abel to get moving, and keep moving.  A regular wheelchair helps someone in need get around to carry out the stuff of day-to-day life, but a sport-specific chair, I’m told, is what can make someone’s disability disappear – it makes the mind feel as if the body is made newly whole.

I don’t know about you, but that’s the kind of magic, the kind of grace, that I want to help bring into other people’s lives.  Especially when the lives are those of children.  CAF helps kids like Abel really, truly live; CAF helps kids laugh.  Just watch, just listen:

This will be my first triathlon since MS came-a-vistin’ to my life.  I’m raising funds & awareness for Challenged Athletes Foundation, an organization devoted to making a difference in the lives of folks with illness & disability who need our help to enjoy a more active, independent, wild-&-wonderful life.  Like this guy, JJ.

Wanna make a difference?  You could pass on my story & donation page:  email, Tweet, Facebook post – anything you can think of to spread the word would be an enormous to help to me.  And, more importantly, to CAF :0)

Here’s where you can donate to my San Diego Tri Challenge adventure.  And you may read more about my motivation for this ride & the marvelous Challenged Athletes Foundation in my previous blog post.