I’m racing “Badwater 135” this summer! On July 21st, I will race through the Mojave Desert (“Death Valley”) and up and down slopes of the eastern Sierra Nevada—for 135 miles. The race will begin in the town of Lone Pine and end at 8,500 feet on Mt. Whitney. Two additional climbs to 10,000 feet and 8,153 feet will add to the excitement. It has been six years since my first Badwater finish. I’ll also be competing in the other two Badwater-themed races in 2014—“Badwater Cape Fear”, which I ran a week ago Saturday in North Carolina, and “Badwater Salton Sea” on May 5-6. “Badwater Cape Fear” is 52 miles long, with 40 of those on the sand to make it more interesting! “Badwater Salton Sea”, which I raced last year, begins in the desert east of San Diego and ends atop Palomar Mountain--81 miles away. It’s a three-person team race, but not a relay. We three must start together, stay together and finish together. This one is a real psychological study in teamwork! I have used many of my races over the years to raise money to fight prostate cancer. As a survivor, I’m well aware of the impact of this disease that affects 1 in 6 American males. But, this time my fundraising focus has changed to support my oldest daughter, Tammy, who has been living with Multiple Sclerosis (“MS”) for years. MS is a degenerative disease that can become more severe at any time. At 48, Tammy is immersed in nursing school full time, with all the usual stresses of too much work required in too little time. While her case is relatively mild, we are hoping that her great effort will not exacerbate her condition. In Tammy’s honor, I am asking everyone I know to donate to MS through my website, main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/becker with the goal of raising $10,000. And, if you are so inclined, please consider helping me with this fundraising effort by reaching out to others. I’ll do the running while you and your circles of friends do the giving. Thanks for your support!
Posted on: Wed, 02 Apr 2014 20:47:04 +0000
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