Hosted by the Oak Square YMCA, Tony Rich to complete an indoor Ironman to raise $10,000 to benefit the Y's annual financial assistance fund.
In 2004, when lifelong Boston resident Tony Rich wanted to begin training for an Ironman Triathlon, he joined the Oak Square YMCA. Comprised of a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride, and 26.2 mile marathon, to complete this task of physical and mental feat, Rich would have to gain more than significant biking and running endurance, though. He would have to learn to swim. Since that time, and having enrolled in classes at the Oak Square YMCA, Rich has not completed one Ironman, but two: 2007 in Florida and 2010 in Lake Placid, NY.
On July 31, 2011 at 7:00am Rich, a now 7 year member of Oak Square YMCA, will complete an indoor Ironman to raise $10,000 for Reach Out, the Y's financial assistance fund. Each year, the Oak Square YMCA provides nearly $300,000 in financial aid to strengthen its community and help its neighbors of all ages and abilities live healthier, more active live. "Thanks to the generosity of the Y," Kamala D., another longtime member says, "We've truly been enabled to make fitness and fun an integral part of our family's daily life. It has become a second home, and we've been exposed to a multitude of enriching experiences we would otherwise never been able to afford." Such an impact in the community simply would not be possible without the support of dedicated Y members and volunteers like Rich.
"Helping the disadvantaged among us and volunteering has always been a major part of my life. Through participation in endurance and multi-sport events, I've been fortunate enough to have raised money for many worthy charities." says Rich.
For the indoor Ironman at the Oak Square YMCA, the 2.4 mile swim will be held in the lap pool; for the 112 bike ride Rich will hook up his bike to a computrainer. Courtesy of Fast : Splits in Newton, the device simulates an outdoor riding experience, and at the same time, allows you to analyze your pedaling stroke, power and other metrics; and the final 26.2 miles will be a treadmill marathon. Tony states that some conditions will be more favorable indoors such as being in a controlled climate and not having to compete for water space with thousands of others as in an outdoor Ironman and being in a controlled climate. The computrainer also allows the bike course to be customizable to the Queen K in Hawaii, for example, but there is certainly a factor of monotony in swimming 170 lengths of a pool and being "stationary" for six hours on the bike and treadmill. To curb this, Rich will be using a waterproof casing for his MP3 player and a few spin bikes and treadmills will be set up for those who want to bike and run beside him for encouragement. Tony will also rely on his experience of completing more than 20 marathons to overcome the mental challenge of running a marathon distance on a treadmill.
In addition to scheduling a time to bike or run with Tony, The Oak Square YMCA and Tony Rich encourage the community to support Tony by visiting www.irontony.com and donating to the 2011 Reach Out Campaign. With the help of Xterra, H2O Audio, Sun Multisports, Max Performance, Air Tran, and others, the YMCA will host a silent auction leading up to and ending on the day of the Indoor Ironman, July 31, 2011. For more information on how to get involved, please contact Sara Nelson at snelson@ymcaboston.org or 617.787.8678.
| Event Location | Donation Page |
|---|---|
| Oak Square YMCA 615 Washington St. Brighton, MA 02135 |
2011 Reach Out Annual Fund Campaign via FirstGiving |
This "What Happens When You Give to the Y." video truly demonstrates the great impact of the Reach Out Campaign with your donations.
About Tony Rich:
BS, Boston College; MS, Boston University; Investment Professional, ITCA Certified Triathlon Coach; (USAT 7/2011); USA Cycling Level 3 Coach, American Red Cross Certified Lifeguard; Certified CPR/AED for Professional Rescuer; Certified Waterfront Safety; Certified Standard First Aid; 2x Ironman Finisher; 5x Half-Ironman Finisher; Completed over 20+ Marathons including 9x Consecutive Boston Marathon Finisher; Boston Marathon Qualifier
