A summary of the weekend in pictures..by someone who was hardly there :-).
Suzanne is already snuggled under the covers upstairs in bed, but will post soon to let people know more details about the tri itself and about the final numbers raised. Thanks to everyone for all of their love and support.
Suzanne’s looking not a bit worse for wear after yesterday’s run. Today she’ll hit the water with Chris Dunn who has offered his brawn to help get them through this next stage. Willow, Theo and I have decided it’s boring down here in the city without Mummy so we’re heading up to surprise her at the end of today’s stage, which culminates with a 30km bike ride — a warm-up for tomorrow’s 120km.
You look beautiful, babe. Can’t wait to see.
xo
PS. You’re lookin’ pretty dashing too, Mr. Dunn! Thanks for taking care of my girl up there.
Suzanne has a way about her that makes it looks like it’s easy to do all the things she does. But, I’ve seen her training. I saw her sweat it out in Spain, with the sea beside her, sandwiched between an ever-hot sun and a scorching pavement. I saw her lace up her shoes to do a training run during the single hour of quiet she might have had while Willow and Theo slept their siestas. And, it’s because I saw that dedication that I’m so proud of her success today — 1h20mins for 15km! A pretty spectac debut! Here you can see what I mean…that she makes it all look so easy.
Meanwhile, back at home ,Willow and Theo sit and await Mummy’s return.
I am grateful to Lisa Hipgrave for introducing me to this amazing cause and all of the incredible people associated with it. A few years ago when Lisa first told us about the TriAdventure Sara and I excitedly signed up to participate in the event…in typical Sara and Suzanne fashion we didn’t really think through what would be involved, we just knew there was a need, a cause, and gosh darn it we were going to jump in and support it. After registering for the event we found out we were successful in our attempts to have a baby so we quickly changed our participation from athletics to fundraising.
Music has always played a special role in both our lives growing up so the next best thing we could offer was to throw a music night to raise funds. Now in its third year, we look forward to music night being a mainstay in people’s summer calendars! Not only do we raise funds for the children of Nikibasika, we bring together our family, friends, and neighbours for an incredible evening of fabulous food and fantastic music!
This year I decided I would tip my toe in arena of athleticism and do the tri. I’ve been training for the run for the past few months, have one training ride under my belt, and hope my previous canoeing experience will serve me well on the paddling portion. 15k run, 15k paddle, and 140k bike…here I come!
With one day to go, I am as prepared as I ever will be.
If you haven’t had a chance to donate yet you still can through my Canada Helps giving page: http://www.canadahelps.org/GivingPages/GivingPage.aspx?gpID=27432
We simply could not pull off this event without the generous help from all of these wonderful people!
In no particular order…
The musical line up was out of this world!
Kyra and Sarah
Katy
Zach
JA, Tanya Oliva and Sara Julieta
Chris Dunn
Stephanie Hodnett
Gabriela Stafford with Nick Stafford
The Hermit Guitarist – Himanshu Desai
The Autumn Stones
Devin Shael Fox
Dave, Gavin, and Liam Alford for the stage and lighting
Arrin, Corbin and Katlyn for numerous last minute errand running
Mike, Nancy, Christopher and Nancy for signage, ice ice baby, and muscle!
Chris Dunn for the amazing sound set up and running the board to ensure everyone sounded GREAT!
JA for MCing the event and all of his help during general set up
Lisa, Blair and Cate for all that they do…and they do A LOT! xoxo
Lisa Reilly for getting the bar goodies
Lorney Vallings for all of her amazing music gear
Helen and Danny for letting us run rampant through 69 Walmlsey!
Pam Ward for the delicious quesadillas and mushroom caps
Maya Bartram for the scrumptious pulled pork and intoxicating sangria
Andrew and Nancy Roche for the fabulous sliders
John and Encarnita Gardner for the abundant paella
Sam Tosaria for the novel oyster bar
Li Rodriguez for the tasty guacamole
Rose and Mama C and Lorena for all the preparation
Gabriela Stafford, Katia Rodriguez and Judith for the yummy desserts
The Two Lisas
Victoria Robinson – Tennis Canada
Garden’s Path
Stephanie and Greg Wylie for securing the Cava dinner!
Pierre Fortin and JA
Jane, Erin, and Carlos
Danny and Dave
Beau in spirit!
If I have forgotten anyone, please, please, please forgive me.
With much love,
Sara and Suzanne
It is the 3rd Annual, very special, MUSIC NIGHT on Saturday August 10th, starting at 6pm in the backyard at 71 Walmsley Blvd.
We are continuing to support fifty-one children of the Nikibasika Learning and Development Centre, in Uganda, which is almost entirely funded by the Tri for Africa organization. http://www.triforafrica.org/
There is one rather BIG difference this year — Suzanne will be participating in the tri the week following Music Night.
You can catch glimpses of her training boot camp here: http://saraandsuzanne.com/training-camp-getting-ready-for-the-tri-for-africa/
Suzanne hired two personal trainers to support her prep; they are available for hire if you’re looking for someone. They are teeny but fierce and can be compensated with cheerios and cuddles.
Each year a group of athletes convene on the shores of Lake Simcoe to canoe, cycle and run (or swim) on a three day TriAdventure, raising support and money for children who have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS and civil war.
We will hear live sets from some of our talented friends as well as participate in the usual jam session and sing-along. A cash bar will be available with excellent beer selection and the entire proceeds of which will also go to Nikibasika.
We hope that this excellent cause and the opportunity to hear live music will bring your smiling faces to MUSIC NIGHT on August 10th. Cover charge $25 and includes a drink ticket. If you are unable to attend but would still like to support Nikibasika through Suzanne’s tri, please visit her fundraising page. http://www.triforafrica.org/participants/participant-giving-pages/
Please RSVP. This event is also being promoted through Facebook. So some of you may receive the invitation in duplicate or, if you’d like to be added to the FB event, please “friend” us.
See you soon!
I often ask myself, why am I here? What am I doing? There are times when these questions pain me. I feel like I am not contributing enough. And then something happens, there is a shift. A cause. A need. A reason. I think we all struggle with wanting to do more.
Becoming a mother has enriched my life in ways I never thought possible. I always knew I wanted to have children but after struggling for many years without success I thought I would have to let that dream quietly slip away. And then I met Sara. The love of my life. Someone who loves me in a way I never thought possible. She supports me, she challenges me, she encourages me, she make me laugh, she makes me cry. Both happy and sad tears. She is the person I have chosen to have at my side as I walk through this complicated and complex world. She is my best friend. She is the mother of my children. She is my love.
Happiness is ethereal. I remember Sara telling me that her Dad once told her that she shouldn’t strive for happiness which is out of a person’s control. In this life one should measure their accomplishments or successes by how they achieve their goals, how they choose to fulfill themselves and their families. I like that.
I feel most fulfilled when I am actively participating in making things better. That might be helping a friend in need, donating time and effort to a particular cause, or holding onto my daughter’s perfect little fingers as she takes her first steps.
With only a couple of months to go, the TriAdventure is my primary focus in the area of giving back. My success will be measured by the amount of money I can raise for the 51 children of Nikibasika and by challenging myself physically in the 3-day triathlon.
I know the answers will change but the questions will remain the same. Why am I here? What am I doing?
