I started swimming/biking/running because. . .

I’ve been swimming for a long time and was inspired by friends and co-workers who train and compete in triathlons and marathons.  I was even more inspired by people who involve and engage their friends by fundraising for charities while they race.  The sprint distance seemed doable to me, so I registered for my first sprint triathlon and trained for a couple of months.  It was easy to find all kinds of resources for “Newbies,” and I discovered a highly enthusiastic, supportive and welcoming community of athletes.  Even though I’m not formally a part of a team, I definitely sensed a camaraderie among other athletes who were training for this event and others.

My favorite race was. . .

That’s actually sort of a funny question to answer because, as it turns out, my attempts to compete have been foiled thus far.  My first tri was cancelled due to a flooded road, only 45 minutes before we were set to start.  Disappointed, I registered for another one 3 weeks later, which was subsequently cancelled due to more hazardous weather conditions.  I suppose at this point my favorite race will be one that actually happens! Now that the tri season is over and my dreams unrealized, the next most reasonable thing seemed to be to sign up for a 10k that some of my friends are running.  I think it’s safe to say that I’ve been sucked in!  I used to hate running, and here I am registering for a run of my own volition.

I started fundraising because. . .

I am personally connected to and invested in several causes, including economic development, clean water solutions, ending human trafficking, and breast cancer research. One of the most effective ways for me to contribute is to donate to organizations that are working responsibly and efficiently in these areas and need to leverage funding in order to carry out their work. And I can have much more impact as a donor if I can involve other people who know me and who would be interested in donating to these causes, but might not think to go to the organization’s website to make a donation.

I currently have 2 fundraising pages on Firstgiving.com, www.firstgiving.com/bapbwm and www.firstgiving.com/triathabeth.  I created the “triathabeth” page for my race because I received a very enthusiastic response from my friends when I told them I was training and competing, and creating a fundraising page allowed my friends to participate and support me while donating to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.  My mom is a Breast Cancer survivor, and this disease has impacted my family in significant ways, so I saw a great opportunity to fundraise for Breast Cancer research.

My best training tip is. . .

Train with a buddy, at least some of the time.  The camaraderie and community I have felt since I’ve started training have really helped to motivate me.

My best fundraising tip is. . .

Be creative. Your family and friends are already in your fan club and will support you, but creative energy has incredible power-it inspires and gives hope, and people respond. Put a fun twist on your fundraiser, do something “out of the box,” and give your donors the opportunity to participate in something exciting (in addition to supporting your athletic habit). Also emphasize the significance of small donations and the idea of sacrificial giving. Any one of your friends is probably willing to part with $5 or $10 (or $1!) for a charity organization, and it can be meaningful to think of taking the opportunity to forgo a cup of coffee or a movie ticket in order to donate.

One thing I did to fundraise for my tri was to host a pasta party before my race.  I invited my friends to a meal, their ticket “in” to the party being a donation to my fundraising page.  It worked out great!