Hi friends and family!
If you haven't heard, a group of us from SIX03 Endurance—Tom Hooper, Mick Arsenault, Chris Straub, Jessica Goldman, Tony Bargardo, and I—are heading back to the Vermont 100 this July. And again, we're teaming up to accomplish two BIG things that we’re going to need your help to do!
- Complete a 100-mile (and for Chris, 100-kilometer) footrace in Vermont on July 16th, and;
- Raise $2,000+ in the process, all to benefit a GREAT cause: Vermont Adaptive Ski & Sports, a program providing access to recreational and competitive athletic support for people who have disabilities. (Lots to read here, but DONATIONS CAN BE MADE AT THE TOP OF THIS PAGE, with the added challenge to raise at least $200 in the month of May!).
Last year, we made the same effort and with support like yours, we brought in just a little more than the $1,000 goal. This was an amazing outcome and we're hoping to repeat the success.
Of course, we know you cannot personally log training miles for us (if only!), but like last year, you can bring us closer to our fundraising goal.
So, here’s a little more about what we’ll be doing and why we would love your support to pull it off:
The event is called the Vermont 100 Endurance Run, or VT100, more affectionately, and it is one of the original 100-mile runs in the US and part of the Grand Slam Series of Ultrarunning.
Yes, you read the correctly: One hundred miles! But like the Boston Marathon, not just anyone can compete in this grueling event. You have to qualify, and in this case, by running either a 50-mile or 100-kilometer sanctioned event in under a designated time limit.
Mick, Tom, Jessica, and I have all qualified for this 100-mile event, while Chris will be taking his first stab at the 100-kilometer race portion that the VT100 offers. But from most experienced (Mick, a former 10th place overall finished in the 2015 100-mile VT100) to the least, attempting an all-out, one-day ultra like the VT100 is going to be more than a challenge for everyone involved. So all of us are going to be working equally hard to wind our way through Vermont’s beautiful (read: hilly!) dirt roads and back country trails.
But our primary goal is not necessarily just to finish or place in the 100-mile and 100-kilomter events.
Our biggest motivation leading into this race is to test our personal limits and to raise funds and awareness for Vermont Adaptive Ski & Sports in the process.
This will mean training hard, long, and smart in order to toe the start line healthy and to finish the race uninjured.
But Why Vermont Adaptive, You Ask?
It’s simple: The same woman who started the now historic VT100 was also the founder of Vermont Adaptive. And for the past 28 years, every penny raised by the the VT100 has worked to fund this program and to celebrate its core values of mobility and the freedom that movement offers each and every one of us.
Personally, I don’t think any of us in SIX03 could imagine not having sports as an outlet and a therapy; as an avenue to find peace; to grow; and to develop. In fact, this type of attitude is partly why Tom founded our running club, SIX03 Endurance, because he knows well that recreation and community are hugely important to happiness.
Programs like Vermont Adaptive profoundly remind us that our bodies are a gift and that it is important that we give back when we can—because for some, just getting out to walk can be a challenge. However, with a little extra assistance, movement, sports, and recreation are not out of reach.
So, when the VT100’s race director challenged all of its participants to also go out and raise money for Vermont Adaptive, it was a no-brainer to us—we had to try!
This year, our hope is again that by attempting this 100-mile and 100-kilometer endurance challenge, we can also inspire you to help sponsor more than our journey. Whether this is the best or worst race of our lives, we will be happy enough knowing that our participation and your support positively impacted and improved the everyday lives of others.
Will you help us pull through this massive undertaking and make a real difference?
Everything helps, and donating what you can will not only bring us closer to our own fundraising goal, you will also bring Vermont Adaptive closer to their goals too!
Thank you. We wouldn’t be where we are today—feeling supported to take on this challenge—if it weren't for you!
Alex, Tom, Mick, Chris, Jessica, and Tony
Please share this with anyone you'd like, as well :)
Further Reading
For those who are really into this stuff and learning more about it, here’s more info. If anything, take a moment to watch this trailer to an award-winning documentary shot by some friends in our local running community: 100: Head/Heart/Feet. This will give you a good sense of what the compete level, training, and whole VT100 is really about.
All in the Name of Competition and Compassion: More abut the Journey to 100-miles and 100-kilometers
Simply put, the entire VT100 does not happen without tremendous effort from all angles. From the 10-person race committee to the 200-person crew of race-day support, every piece of the puzzle is made possible through 100% volunteer work.
To even be part of this race, Tom, Mick, Chris, and I (along with all 300+ other crazy racers) will have to give back 8 hours of our time to a volunteer effort like trail maintenance, race support at another ultra event, or time spent helping any organization that directly aids recreational activity for disabled youth. That’s the kind of event the VT100 is, and that’s the type of community it cultivates. We couldn’t be more proud.
MORE INFO on the VT100 and Vermont Adaptive Ski & Sports:
Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing recreational and competitive sports opportunities to people with disabilities. We believe sports and recreation provide a physical, mental and social experience that is immeasurable in promoting self-confidence and independence in an individual.
With nearly 400 active volunteers instructing and helping, plus generous partners and sponsors, and an amazing base of clients and friends, Vermont Adaptive Ski & Sports has been at the forefront of sports and recreation for those with disabilities in New England for more than 20 years. Vermont Adaptive Ski & Sports is committed to empowering individuals with disabilities. We promote independence and further equality through access and instruction to sports and recreational activities.
The VT 100 is one of Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports biggest fundraisers every year. Without our participants, volunteers and sponsors, Vermont Adaptive would not be able to provide access to: Skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, sailing, canoeing, kayaking, hand cycling, tandem biking, horse back riding, rock climbing, hiking, camping and other adventure weekends to their participants!
For more information about Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports: click here.