LAURI'S STORY...
I had been walking for exercise for over 20 years, and around
January 2010, it seemed that everywhere I turned someone was training for the
Houston ½ or full marathon. It made me
wonder if maybe I should try running.
So, I did. I began with the Couch
to 5K program. I ran my first 5k in February, 2010 and did several more soon
thereafter. I was hooked. I joined the KatyFit marathon training group in
July 2010 and started training for the Houston ½ marathon. In August, 2010, I ran my first 10K, then in October,
ran a 10-miler. In August, I had the opportunity to volunteer with Cherish Our
Children International (COCI) at the Bridgeland Triathlon. I was very intrigued by triathlons! Having done swim team my entire childhood,
knowing how to ride a bike and enjoying running, I figured, “I can probably do
this,” although, it was quite an overwhelming idea! Working full time and having two school age
children, I wondered, “Would I really have time to train?” I also volunteered at Try Andy’s Tri in
October 2010 which just increased my interest in trying a tri!
I happened to stumble across a ½ marathon offered in
Kingwood on Jan 1, 2011. I thought, “Wow
– what a great way to bring in the New Year – with my very first ½ marathon and
on 1/1/11!” I loved it! The race was a great experience. However, as I continued my training for the 1/30/11
Houston ½ marathon, I developed some knee problems. After a couple trips to the orthopedist, I
ran the 1/30/11 race though it was very painful for me.
So, the timing was perfect.
Since my knee was going to be a problem I thought, “Why not cross train
with some bike and swim while decreasing my running mileage?” I had already decided in December, 2010 that
I was going to join Team COCI, since they support athletes in
reaching their event goal while raising funds to support COCI's mission of
helping children have better lives. I
also was able to have a friend of mine join the team too!
I signed up for my first tri – the TriGirl Super Sprint to
be held in May 2011. I followed the
training program provided by Team COCI and attended most of their clinics,
learning so much about swim drills, biking, open water swimming, transitioning,
and much more. As with the running, I
loved so much about all of this. I loved
having something that was just for me, having goals to shoot for and reach, and
having all the support from Team COCI, friends and family. I chose the COCI
kids as my Reason2Race the Memorial Hermann 6/26/11 Sugar Land triathlon, and during my journey to the event
finish line, I raised $1,500 to
support the COCI kids. I even went on to participate in one more sprint tri and a
duathlon during 2011.
I am proud to say that I will continue to choose COCI as my
Reason2Race during 2012. It is an
incredible feeling to accomplish a racing goal but to also know that children
in need are benefiting as well. As much
pain as I think I’m feeling during a race – I know it is nothing compared to
what some of these kids face on a daily basis.
Quite the motivation to keep going!
Lauri Kay
Team
COCI 2012RAY'S STORY...
I completed my first Triathlon in Kemah, Texas April of 2012 and it was a GREAT experience. What enhanced the experience for me was I was racing for a CAUSE and it was bigger than me! I was racing for Cherish Our Children International (COCI for short) and helped support under privileged children around the world. I would like to share with you!!!
I am part of Team COCI (www.teamcoci.org) and we invite athletes to choose one event each season that challenges you to reach a new performance goal while we support your efforts in raising fund for the world's most vulnerable children.
My situation is a bit different as I do not have a base line goal to beat as I was just doing my first event. So my goal was to complete the race and stay alive! The last part is a bit of a joke but that is actually what I responded to people when they asked of my goals.
My situation is a bit different as I do not have a base line goal to beat as I was just doing my first event. So my goal was to complete the race and stay alive! The last part is a bit of a joke but that is actually what I responded to people when they asked of my goals.
To me, my bigger accomplishment was making a stand for children around the world. Some I have met personally through Team COCI functions and some I have watched videos on. I have never participated in any type of fund raising event so the experience was completely new to me. I was not sure what I was registering for, but I knew I could make the difference. I started sharing my story and what I was doing with the people around me and everyone was so supportive. The interesting part of this process was I got to know people better and learn more about them by sharing what I was doing. It created an opening for new conversations that I had never had with certain people and the end result was a closer relationship. It did not matter whether the end result was a donation to my page, the act of sharing what I was doing lit me up and also inspired the person I was sharing with. I remember sharing with someone what I was doing and what I was committed to and she forwarded the email to her contacts and I was getting support from people I would have never asked! I learned by my sharing you really never know the impact it makes. I would like to acknowledge the people who listened to me and helped support me in my Event. Through the support of my family, friends and colleagues I raised $1,750 for COCI for this event and finished in a tie for 3rd place in the Giving Challenge (I tied with my fiancé). Thank you everyone for the support.
To me, this was the biggest impact because it made the difference for more than just me!!!
So, it would be incomplete unless I shared my race experience. I swam 500 meters in the Gulf of Mexico, biked 12 miles and finished up with a 5k run. Going into the event I knew the swim was going to be the biggest challenge. I was telling myself to concentrate on my breathing, go at my pace and pray nobody tries to swim over me! I was expecting to get out of the swim in about 12 minutes based on a previous swim a few weeks back. With the waves it took me a little under 20 minutes. The waves played a huge role in the time. I felt as if I was swimming up and then I would ride the wave down. I remember kicking somebody and it felt as if they were directly underneath me. I was using too much of my legs so my left quad started cramping 3/4 of the way through. I fought through it and made it to the end of the swim. I was hoping it was not a muscle used on the bike! I do remember smiling out of the water so it could not have been too bad. Then it was off to the bike. The bike really sucked on the way out and I got passed by several people. I noticed myself looking at the people passing me and how they did not look in great shape but here they were zooming past me. On the way back the wind was on my back so I picked up the pace and finished the bike strong. Angelica (my fiancé) was in bike transition cheering me on and one comment that stuck out was "look at all bikes". I looked around and most of the bikes were racked which meant I was far behind all the other athletes. She first said this I thought she was complimenting me on my good performance but then I realized she was telling me I was far behind and needed to catch up. I laughed inside a little and just kept going. The next portion was the run. I took off on the run and took it easy. I was not running fast however my heart rate was 190 beats per minute the whole run. I completed the run with no walking and made it to the finish line. My mom and Robert were close to the finish line cheering me on. I jumped in the ice bath and my muscles said Thank you.
So, it would be incomplete unless I shared my race experience. I swam 500 meters in the Gulf of Mexico, biked 12 miles and finished up with a 5k run. Going into the event I knew the swim was going to be the biggest challenge. I was telling myself to concentrate on my breathing, go at my pace and pray nobody tries to swim over me! I was expecting to get out of the swim in about 12 minutes based on a previous swim a few weeks back. With the waves it took me a little under 20 minutes. The waves played a huge role in the time. I felt as if I was swimming up and then I would ride the wave down. I remember kicking somebody and it felt as if they were directly underneath me. I was using too much of my legs so my left quad started cramping 3/4 of the way through. I fought through it and made it to the end of the swim. I was hoping it was not a muscle used on the bike! I do remember smiling out of the water so it could not have been too bad. Then it was off to the bike. The bike really sucked on the way out and I got passed by several people. I noticed myself looking at the people passing me and how they did not look in great shape but here they were zooming past me. On the way back the wind was on my back so I picked up the pace and finished the bike strong. Angelica (my fiancé) was in bike transition cheering me on and one comment that stuck out was "look at all bikes". I looked around and most of the bikes were racked which meant I was far behind all the other athletes. She first said this I thought she was complimenting me on my good performance but then I realized she was telling me I was far behind and needed to catch up. I laughed inside a little and just kept going. The next portion was the run. I took off on the run and took it easy. I was not running fast however my heart rate was 190 beats per minute the whole run. I completed the run with no walking and made it to the finish line. My mom and Robert were close to the finish line cheering me on. I jumped in the ice bath and my muscles said Thank you.
Thank you for allowing me to share with you my experience. I look forward to racing more triathlons and being part of Team COCI.
GABRIELLE'S STORY...
Thanks to Team COCI, I crossed the 2010 Arizona Ironman Finish Line!
My name is Gabrielle Baumeyer, and I am proud to say that supporting children is my Reason2Race! Since the age of 15, I dreamed of doing something significant in the sporting arena; however, I wasn’t the athletic type and had challenges staying motivated to exercise. I watched classmates participate in all kinds of sporting endeavors, and I never thought I could play at their level. The years following, I dabbled in running but continued to seek that “carrot” that would really get me in action.
A friend invited me to join Team COCI. She gave me the opportunity to have my journey to the finish line be about something bigger than achieving just my personal goal. She said it could help me stay motivated by racing for a bigger cause.
She told me I could race for children like Kennedy from Kenya who was orphaned at the age of 10 and had suffered many years from malnutrition, parasites and fungus infections. Kennedy is now living at a COCI supported Children First compound and is a healthy active young boy who loves to read and dreams of someday becoming a doctor.
She was right when she said these children would keep me motivated. In 2007 I did my first sprint triathlon (.3 mile swim, 12 mile bike, 3 mile run) and raised over $2,400 for COCI. Knowing I was helping children, some of whom I have personally met, helped me keep training and do what I needed to cross that finish line. Since then, I have picked one race in each tiathlon season to be for the children COCI supports.
In November 2010, I completed the Arizona Ironman, and with the support of many I raised $22,000 for the COCI kids. My dream of doing something significant in the sporting arena has come true, and the best part is that I have gotten to make a difference for others along the way. Here’s to having a Reason2Race!
Gabrielle Baumeyer
Team COCI
(2007-2011)
Learn more about the COCI children by watching the video here.
