Biker’s Edge Joins Team Brenchley as Sponsor
Monday, August 10th, 2009 | News | No Comments
We are proud to announce that the Biker’s Edge in Kaysville, Utah has agreed to be a sponsor of Team Brenchley. It is a great bike shop with everything you could want to go with your two wheels. They also have a good multisport selection. Everyone of their staff knows what they are talking about. I highly recommend them. If you go check the shop out, tell them that Team Brenchley sent you. Check them out at http://www.bebikes.com/ .
Biker’s Edge
232 N. Main Street
Kaysville, UT 84037
Phone: (801) 544-5300
Best 5K Time Ever!
Monday, August 10th, 2009 | News | No Comments
On July 24th Brian and I beat our 4-year standing record of 23:09 as our 5K best. We competed in the Bountiful 24th of July Handcart Days 5K and completed it in 22:41. Not bad for a couple of weekend warriors! We were very proud of our finish. We took first place in the Clydesdale division (we thought we would give it a shot to see if we could win more hardware for Brian!) and also would have taken first place in our age division. Now that is a record! And, of course, Brian beat me across the finish line…again!
First Race of the Year
Monday, June 29th, 2009 | News | 1 Comment
Brian and I completed our first race of the year this last Saturday. It was a fun little 5K that was good start to the season. The course ran around Sugarhouse Park in Salt Lake City twice. The first time around we were mostly on the road and were on track for a 22:00 5K. The second time around was mostly on the grass and was a bit tougher. The grass was wet and very long, and hid lots of bumps. We had a lot of fun, but Brian was definately ready to get out of the racing chair when we were done. The grass was so long that Brian’s footrest actually mowed some of the grass as we ran. His shoes were covered with strands of wet grass by the time we were done. We finished in 26:58. My goal is to drop 4 minutes. We can totally do it.
Another bonus from this race is that my self-proclaimed “non-runner” mother ran the same race to support us. It was her first 5K. Her goal was to finish the race with at least one person still behind her. Not only did she finish the race ”not last”, she also won third place in her age division. Way to go, Mom! It was awesome for me to see her finish the last several hundred yards with all her might. She left everything on the course. I smiled as my “non-runner”, “non-competitive” mother almost immediately said, “I’m sure I can do better. My goal next time is to run the whole time without walking”. I smile because she has suddenly started thinking about a next time.
A Big Thanks
Tuesday, June 16th, 2009 | News | No Comments
We would like to send a big thanks out to everyone who has helped Team Brenchley to raise funds to help us pay for our bike and chariot setup for triathlons. Though we have not yet achieved our target amount of $5,000, with your help we were able to raise a significant portion of that. We will continue raising funds until we have sufficient to pay for a new racing chariot for Brian. If anyone would like to contribute, this can still be done here on our website or by contacting us personally. Additionally, we are still looking for corporate sponsorships so please contact us if you are interested. Thanks to everyone who has become part of the Team Brenchley family. Whatever your race may be, keep on running!
Newspaper Articles
Friday, June 12th, 2009 | News | 1 Comment
The Davis County Clipper, a newspaper in my hometown, did a story on Brian and me yesterday. You can check it out at http://ow.ly/dKjj . The author also wrote a really cool attending article about his experience writing about us and the things that he learned from Team Brenchley. You can read this article at http://ow.ly/dLTt . Much thanks to Scott Schulte from the Davis County Clipper for his kind words. Just keep running!
Great News!
Thursday, June 4th, 2009 | News | 1 Comment
We were recently notified that Otto Bock Healthcare, an international company that specializes in prothsthetics, orthodics, mobility products, and custom seating solutions, has joined the great sponsors of Team Brenchley. Otto Bock will provide Brian with a custom seating sytem for his racing wheelchair. Up to this point Brian has had to fight through agonizing pain in almost every marathon we have run. Brian has both scoliosis and kyphosis (meaning that his spine abnormally curves to the front and the back, as well as from side to side). A standard seat does not fit his needs. The flat back on the chair offered him almost no support. The longer races, specifically marathons, were especially difficult. Now with this new seating system our races will be much more comfortable and much more enjoyable for Brian. This means less stops, more fun, and faster times. Thank you, Otto Bock!
My Reason
Sunday, May 24th, 2009 | News | No Comments
After a little less than a week of fundraising efforts, generous individuals have already donated 10% of our goal amount! Thank you to all who have supported us this way and to those who will yet donate. We most certainly couldn’t do it without you, but we certainly will with you.
Sometimes during hard spots in training or just hard spots in life when things get a little tough and I am tempted to complain, I think of my friend Brian. He can hardly do a thing for himself. He must rely on others to fill all of his needs. But even with the great limitations that are his, he is happy. He enjoys his life, every bit of it, and freely shares that love of life with all who get in his way. I want to grow up to be more like Brian Brenchley. Thank you so much to all who are helping to give Brian the chance to race and to share his smile and goodness with all who see us. He really is the reason I race. Thank you for helping us.
Summer!
Tuesday, May 19th, 2009 | News | 1 Comment
Summer is here and how happy I am that it is! Summer means less stress from school, more sleep, rest for my soul, and more time to train and race with Brian. I just finished a very challenging semester of grad school and am ever so grateful for the time off. I am now halfway through my doctoral program. Yeah!
I returned a few days ago from a humanitarian mission to Costa Rica. “Awesome!!!” is the best way to describe it. It was a great way to end a challenging, but enlightening, semester. Now that I am back, I am getting into the full swing of training. My schooling has taken the majority of my time and I have not been able to train as I would have liked during this last semester. I have been out running several times in the last few days to remind my body of what I am about to do. Swimming and biking will begin within the next week. Here we go!
Also, we were recently notified that we made it into the St. George Marathon again this year. This is one of our favorite races and will be our third year running it. We love St. George!
Fundraising for Brian
Tuesday, May 19th, 2009 | News | No Comments
Team Brenchley is officially making the jump from marathons to triathlons. I know, we are CRAZY! Brian’s dad says that we are now just trying to find out exactly how crazy we are. It will be an exciting journey, that’s for sure!
In order to compete in triathlons, we need to get the required equipment and gear that will allow Brian and I to participate and compete in these events. Triathlons have three events: swimming, biking, and running. We already have our running chair, so that is not a problem. We have also made a boat and harness setup that will work well for us. I will swim while pulling Brian behind me in a boat. All that is left is the bike and trailer combo. I will ride a road bike while pulling Brian behind me in a specially designed chariot/trailer.
Our goal is to raise $5,000 by June 15th. Five years ago, with the help of family and frinds, we were able to raise enough money to purchase a custom racing chair and to cover associated racing costs. We were amazed by the support we recieved. We would like to solicit your help again. The goal amount of $5,000 would allow us to get the majority of the equipment we need to not only participate in triathlons, but compete in them. We have never yet come in last, and we don’t ever plan on doing so!
So many of us take the majority of our blessings for granted. We can pick up the phone and call a friend, grab a snack from the fridge, and jump in the car to run an errand, all without hardly thinking about it. Brian can’t do any of these things, at least not by himself. He has been blessed his whole life to have family and friends that support him and give him great life experiences. Though these efforts will never give him the same experiences that most of us take for granted, they have allowed him to live a full and happy life. My goal is to continue that legacy.
By running over 197 miles of competitive road races with Brian over the last 5 years, I have become a much better person. I have learned things about Brian, about myself, and about sacrifice. I have watched the faces of able bodied spectators as they have seen Brian doing things that they had considered impossible to do themselves. I have watched as something clicked inside them as they silently asked the questions, “What impossible things can I do?” and “Who can I help today?” I have smiled as we passed surprised runners that thought they were too tired to keep going, only to be passed by a guy pushing another guy in a wheelchair. Because of Brian, they took courage, picked up the pace, and finished well the race they had started. I have watched myself become better and try harder because of Brian. It was once said that there are things that we will do for love that we would never do for money. That has been my experience running with Brian.
Please join me in helping Brian have an incredible experience competing in triathlons this summer. Your help, however large or small, will bless Brian as well as those that see him and meet him. We cannot do it without you. To the many finish lines to come, LET’S DO THIS!
First Time Swimming
Wednesday, March 18th, 2009 | News | 1 Comment
At last, Brian and were able to get in the water! Last weekend we got in the pool and tested our new boat and harness together. Things worked great! I was able to pull Brian over 1000 meters in about 40 minutes. We took it really easy, and stopped several times to talk and to try different things with the equipment.
I was very surprised at how relatively easy it was to pull a boat and person with a combined weight of about 170 lbs while swimming. It wasn’t much more difficult than pulling a 120 lb person. It was harder than swimming alone, but once I got started, the momentum was fairly easy to maintain. It was definately more of a workout than I usually get. I sure felt it a few days after! I know this is going to be very physically challenging season, but I think we are going to have A LOT of fun!
