Mahalo Party

Well, the Mahalo Party on Monday night was another great experience! We had to wait in line about half an hour to get in the gate, but it was well worth it! We each got a big fanny pack that says Ironman Triathlon on it and we put our names in for the raffle drawing. They gave away some really cool prizes. The top items were 3 bikes, really nice bikes that triathletes use. They also gave away exercise equipment… 2 stationary bikes and a stepper. They gave away tons of smaller prizes too. Of course, we didn’t win anything!! The lady sitting next to me won twice! Oh well. There’s always next year I guess!

When we first got there we were fed a really awesome meal. There was salad, corn, sweet and sour chicken, kaluha pig, roast beef, lasagna, buns, about 5 different desserts and water, Gatorade, pop, and beer to drink. We ate pretty good! While we ate there was a program to thank everyone for volunteering at the event. All the different chairmen of all the different areas that put together the Ironman spoke and thanked their workers.

The man that was the top finisher for the Big Island spoke and thanked everyone for their help. And then, much to my surprise and delight, the top male and female winners overall got up and spoke! I was just really amazed that these professional athletes took the time to thank us personally for what we did. Chrissie Wellington of Great Britain and Craig Alexander of Australia were both very appreciative of the volunteers. I posted some pictures of them. They may look a little grainy because I took pictures of them on the jumbo tron since they were too far away to get a better picture.

The other speaker was a father whose son had Cerebral Palsy. The son had his umbilical cord wrapped around his neck during delivery and he had brain damage. The doctors told the family that he would not survive. The family was determined to make his life as normal as possible. They thought that he was able to understand things, he just couldn’t speak. They bought him a computer and he began to communicate with them. He finished high school and college and now he lives by himself in an apartment. When he was a young boy, he and his father participated in a race for a local charity. The father ran and pushed his son in a wheelchair. The son told his father after the race that it was the first time that he didn’t feel handicapped. So they kept entering races and eventually started doing triathlons. They showed footage of the two of them in last year’s Ironman. It sent chills down me to see the love, dedication, and hard work that this father went through for his son. He pulled him in a rubber raft during the 2.4 mile swim; he had a seat put on the front of his bike and the son sat there during the 112 mile bike, and he pushed his son in a wheelchair for the 26.2 mile run!! It was so amazing so see!! They finished the race in something like 15 hours…unbelievable!! This father and son team was inducted into the Ironman Hall of Fame.

They also showed video taken during the race of various athletes biking or running. I was wrong when I said the oldest participant was 66. On the video, they interviewed a 71-year old and a 75-year old!!! They asked the 75-year old what his secret to long life was and he simply said, ”Well, I take care of myself and do things like this,” meaning participating in an Ironman!! WOW!! That’s amazing!! I really have no excuses for not getting out there and doing SOMETHING!! I know that at least one of these men finished because they showed it on the video. Pretty cool, huh?

The Ironman Triathlon will be aired on NBC on December 13. We have seen it in the past and it is always very well done. They usually tell the story of a few people and then follow them throughout the race. And of course they follow the professionals that are expected to do well. I really like the stories of the Average Joes. Those are the stories that are so inspiring! Well, that’s all for now. Until next time…aloha!