Feeling more confident about triathlons, I ventured to Madison, Wisconsin to participate in a training weekend for the Wisconsin Ironman (a future OneMedal story).

The training weekend provided the chance for an open water training swim and a 50 mile training ride on the bicycle. It also included an opportunity to participate in the Capitol View Triathlon, an Olympic distance.

Training with Team Worldvision, my charity sponsor for the #IMWI, it was a great opportunity to get my bearings for a much longer race months into the future.

Team Worldvision is a great non-governmental organization with international reach. Our collective fundraising efforts were going to help provide clean water in rural parts of Africa. It is a Christian organization that finds very real and relevant ways to connect with the people they serve and donors.

The Capitol View Triathlon included a nearly one mile swim, followed by a 25+ mile bike ride and a 6.2 mile run. However, the weather had other plans. After the swim, the race was shortened to the sprint distance.

Frankly, after a hard training day less than 24 hours earlier, I was “ok” with this weather-shortened race!

My One Medal honoree for this race is my Uncle Greg. A Vietnam Veteran, he and my aunt served in a Christian NGO overseas for many years.

While those connections would be enough for a One Medal honor, in the midst of my training Greg was diagnosed with an aggressive form of esophageal cancer. We would meet for lunch to catch-up on life and it was clear the tumor was having an impact.

Great news, the chemotherapy and radiation were successful! Credit prayer and skilled doctors.

Today, Greg is in full remission.