A MESSAGE FROM Elisa
Thank you for visiting my fundraising page!
On November 17, I will be joining the Project Athena Foundation on a 120-mile multisport adventure down the Florida Keys in support of female survivors (Athenas) who have suffered a medical setback. Every dollar donated goes directly toward sponsoring survivors to participate in the Keys to Recovery adventure and achieve their dreams of getting back to living life.
I am paying my own way to participate in the Keys to Recovery Adventure.
Why am I doing this?
Rewind to summer 2013…my husband Ed, was in the midst of testing for what we feared may be ALS…turned out to be IBM (Inclusion Body Myositis)…never heard of it? Neither had we.
It's a rare progressive muscle wasting disease, not terminal, but disabling. At the time, I had been putting off having rotator cuff surgery, but after Ed's diagnosis I thought I should have it taken care of sooner than later, so that I could recover and be strong enough to assist him as his mobility deteriorated.
I first learned about Project Athena through a story on CNN while I was recovering from the rotator cuff surgery. Having had a setback with a clot in my arm and capsulitis, I was feeling pretty sorry for myself - until I came upon the Project Athena story. I was so impressed to see what this foundation was doing to support others who had suffered any number of life-altering medical challenges. I thought: my recovery is nothing compared to what some of these women have gone through! I decided to set a goal to go on one of the adventures as a fundraising participant and used it to motivate me through my rehab. It took way longer than I expected, but here I am in 2016 - my rotator cuff is fully recovered (Thank you ProEx Stratham, Regina, and Eric D!), my husband is about to go on disability, and I am ready to go to the Keys! My training for this adventure has helped me not only recover from my surgery, but kept me focused on preparing for the future whatever it may hold.
Life is full of "adventures" and I look forward to participating in the Keys to Recovery Adventure to help an "Athena" stay focused on her wellbeing and provide some normalcy in her life.
How can you help?…by giving a donation!
My training is done, but my fundraising goes on!
Please help me reach my goal before I start my adventure on Friday!! Donating through this website is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to support my fundraising efforts. No donation is too small. MANY thanks for your support -- and please forward this to anyone who you think might want to donate too!
To learn more about this adventure and The Project Athena Foundation go to: www.projectathena.org.
Live Love Laugh
Elisa
