Golden rays of sunlight
splashed over the Iraqi desert as I turned the corner for my last
two-mile lap on my road bike. This stretch of road was the only
adequate asphalt for me to ride on in Iraq. I was on day 145 of
my 180-day deployment and I found myself right in the middle of
what I would soon find to be a great passion of mine…cycling.
I had never been much of a rider, but my friend and colleague, Capt.
Rich Farley, has ridden bikes for years. As a combat search and rescue
team member, he realized the value of not only fitness but personal
contact with others while at a deployed location. He often e-mailed
me and would frequently discuss how his latest fitness adventure
was progressing. Farley had recently started training to compete
in triathlons. I had been a runner since college and always wanted
to start cycling. Tri-athlons seemed like a challenging, yet fun
adventure where I could start riding. Farley had convinced me that
riding was the next logical fitness routine I should try and as luck
would have it, I met another deployed member who had been cycling
for 20 years. I purchased a bike, (believe or not, one can purchase
a bicycle in Iraq) and this new friend helped me assemble and tune
the bike for optimum performance. Now I was ready to go!
In Iraq I would wake
up early to start training mainly because the summers in Iraq are
akin to the summers in my hometown of Phoenix…ridiculously
hot! Outside exercise is best conducted in the cool desert morning
rather than the hot, dry 130-degree afternoon. My one-mile stretch
of road ended at the base entry gate. I would frequently see soldiers
heading to and from patrol outside the perimeter and often thought
of how the unit was affected when one of their brothers in arms was
injured or did not return. What kind of impact would that have on
their family and community back home? How would they make it after
such a devastating event had occurred to them? It was during these
morning rides that I realized how fortunate I was to have the ability
to start a new sport.
I was scheduled to return from Iraq in mid-August, 2007. Farley was
scheduled to race a Sprint Triathlon in early September so we agreed
this might be a great reunion opportunity where we could both participate
in the triathlon. What a rush! The excitement of completing this event
was unexplainable. As a runner I would frequently participate in a
5K or 10K run in support of fund-raising initiatives. The feeling of
accomplishment after completing the triathlon towered over running
events. Throughout the weekend, Farley and I discussed how unfortunate
it was for people who did not have the ability to participate in sporting
events and how there are thousands of military personnel returning
from Iraq and Afghanistan who are injured and are no longer able to
participate in an active lifestyle. As we watched a rerun of the 2007
Kona Ironman in preparation for our Sprint Triathlon (400 meter swim,
14 mile bike, 5K run), we saw the remarkable story of U.S. Army Major
David Rozelle.
While in Iraq commanding
140 troops of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Rozelle lost part
of his right leg when a land mine exploded under his Humvee. Rozelle’s experiences could be easily compared to
your worst nightmare following the incident. He was in excruciating
pain, depressed, physically challenged and not knowing what his future
held. Tenacity saved his life! Rozelle remembered what it was like
to participate in sports and strongly believed in the healing power
of sports to help accomplish his new mission…get back into action!
He became involved with the Challenged Athletes Foundation and competed
in several triathlons. Driven to conquer the Ironman Triathlon World
Championship in Kona, he was dedicated to prove that he’s not
only “back in action,” but back with a purpose. In Hawaii,
he completed the race an hour faster than his qualifying time, finishing
in 12:46:26. (As a point of reference, an Ironman Triathlon is a
2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run.)
After many months of
rehabilitation, training and sheer determination, Rozelle returned
to active duty and subsequently to the same battlefield where he
was originally wounded—the first American soldier to
do so in modern times, www.challengedathletes.org/.
Rozelle’s story inspired me and Farley to make a difference
for athletes with physical challenges all over the world. We co-founded
the Triathlon Team TRI-N-HELP as our contribution to this noble cause.
Race for a Reason under the guise of the Challenged Athletes Foundation
(CAF) was established in 1997. The CAF is a unique organization that
recognizes the athletic greatness inherent in all people with physical
challenges and supports their athletic endeavors by providing grants
for training, competition and equipment needs. The mission of TRI-N-HELP
is to raise money to support challenged athletes while increasing
awareness of exercise and nutrition. TRI-N-HELP believes fitness
increases quality of life. Our goals are to raise $2,500 in the first
year, increase awareness of injured/wounded U.S. Military members.
We completed the Desert Classic Duathlon in February (3.5-mile run,
21-mile bike ride and 2.7-mile run). Our teammate Dave Neal (a dental
student in Mesa, AZ and former US Air Force Para-recueman), achieved
an awesome accomplishment by finishing the Ford Ironman in Tempe, AZ
in early April. I recently completed the Mountain Man Olympic Distance
Triathlon in Flagstaff, AZ (.93-mile swim, 24.8-mile bike and 6.2-mile
run). We will continue to race and raise money to support the Challenged
Athletes Foundation because we know the money we raise will support
athletes who cannot always get to the starting line: swimmers missing
limbs, paraplegics who use hand cycles to bike and runners who race
using artificial limbs. High-tech running prosthetics are very expensive
and learning to swim without a limb (or limbs) requires special coaching.
These challenged athletes want to participate in athletics and feel
the rush of competition, just like us. In May of 2008, the Challenged
Athletes Foundation distributed more than $1 million in grants to 625
athletes. It is a wonderful thing to witness firsthand the diversity
and impact of sports supported by the Challenged Athletes Foundation.
We are confident with
our help, challenged athletes will be able to continue to bridge
the financial gap and overcome funding obstacles that block their
path to athletic achievement. If you would like to donate in support
of Team TRI-N-HELP please visit www.trinhelp.org or http://raceforareason.kintera.org/trinhelp ![end of story]()
Major Brian Musselman and Captain Rich Farley are both Active Duty
Officers serving in the United States Air Force and co-founders of
the Triathlon Team TRI-N-HELP. www.trinhelp.org/Trinhelp/Trinhelp.html
