Last month, we introduced you to Brent, Evan, and Kyle Pease (story link), three brothers aspiring to finish St. Anthony's Triathlon in Tampa, Florida in early May. Many other siblings have completed the race together. What sets them apart from others is the fact that Kyle was born with cerebral palsy. When Brent crossed the finish line of the 2010 Ironman Louisville race, he inspired his two younger twin brothers, Evan and Kyle, to vow to finish a triathlon together in 2011. Earlier this month that dream came true.
We caught up with Brent after the race to get a full recap of the event in Florida. Brent told us that support going into the race proved a tremendous asset for the trio. "We got a lot of good advice last minute from Dave Dashiell, the founder of TriKids." One particular insight stood out. "He told us that no matter how much planning you put in [to] a race, it will go down as it will go down."
And indeed the race took a last minute twist of its own. High winds that morning forced race officials to reconsider holding the swim at all. In the end, they decided to keep the first leg, but shorten the course in the bay from 1,500 to 1,000 meters. "I was just glad the swim wasn't cancelled," Pease said. However, shortening the course meant that the brothers had to quickly reposition their gear at the new swim start area. "Who would have predicted the swim start would have been moved?" he asked. But they successfully adjusted their plans.
What were the highlights of the race? "You get all these snapshots [in your mind] from the day," Brent said. The first major memory came as they exited the swim. "There was Evan waiting for us...and there we were, just three brothers in the water."
Finishing the race together will also stay fixed in his memory. "The end was a blur. St. Anthony's finish was so long. Kyle let loose a scream like you'd never heard." The three Pease brothers crossed the line together exactly 3 hours and 34 minutes after the start of their wave. "When we hit the finish, the announcer was easily able to call out Kyle's name. It was unbelievable."
St. Anthony's is only the beginning of races the brothers will complete together. They plan to run two 5Ks and another half marathon before the end of the year. "We really will focus on tris next year," Brent told us. "We're going to continue to do this."
TRIJUICE wish them good luck for the rest of the year. Follow their progress on their website at www.race.kylepease.org, on Facebook at "Walking with KPeasey" at or on Twitter @WalkingwithKP.
Author: Paul Tyler
Paul Tyler is the founder of Triessential.com and a contributor here at TRIJUICE. Triessential offers an iPhone application that provides training tips and motivation every day throughout the entire year.
www.triessential.com
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- Pease Brothers Prove Cerebral Palsy No Obstacle in Triathlon Quest
