Training for the North Channel has been going great these past few months aroundPittsburgh. The upcoming weeks will find me swimming in Deep Creek (Maryland), Lake Erie (Pennsylvania) and possibly Blue Mesa Reservoir (Colorado) with Craig Lenning. With around 8-weeks until I leave forIreland, I need to start ‘going long’ with my weekend training, therefore I am planning for at least 3 8-hour swims over the next 3 weekends. Prior to leaving forIreland, I will also have at least 1-2, 12-24 hour pool or lake swims lined up as well – doing anything I can to push the envelope prior to heading across the pond toNorthern Ireland! My strategy has to focus more on speed, as I simply do not have the ability to add serious weight, nor have cold water for training. My kick needs to be stronger than ever, my turnover around 70+ strokes/minute and holding a pace north of 4K/hour – there is simply no other way. In the words of Steven Munatones, I will need to ‘boogie’ across theNorth Channel!
My charitable speaking engagements have been going great recently, including speaking to the largest crowd to date (500+) with the Eagle Scout Ceremony at the Fred Rogers Center in St. Vincent’s College (Latrobe, Pennsylvania). Last weekend I was blessed to have traveled toLancaster,Pennsylvania, stay with Jennifer Benton-Rowe (former Murrysville Swimming Club coach) and speak with theManheimTownshipswimming teams, as well as the Lancaster Boys and Girls Club. It was an honor to speak at theCalvaryChurch (4,000+ capacity) as it was very unique environment, and much larger than anything I was accustomed! We raised $1,000 at the ‘Speaker Survivor Series’ this week at the Doubletree Hotel in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, as well as spreading the mission via National Public Radio (NPR) here in Pittsburgh last evening – it will air during the mid-day on Monday, so I will keep everyone posted!
Finally, we have a special dinner this evening at the Duquesne Club with the President of the Children’s Hospital Foundation, his topPittsburghfundraiser and my new marketing team. My fingers will be crossed that she is willing to assist (something we have never had) with a full-time fundraising opportunity with some ofPittsburgh’s most affluent donors – any and all prayers are being taken at this time! This is an incredible opportunity to pitch our mission, but most importantly to have someone who is working ‘behind the scenes’ while I train, work and continue my charitable speaking engagements! SO EXCITED!!
Please continue to help spread the Team Forever mission any way you can – via social networking, or by word of mouth. Any and all charitable speaking engagements will be considered due to time constraints in the coming weeks, as I will do anything I can to get the word out to as many people as possible. It is by the grace of God I have been on this incredible life journey. I know I will continue to be successful with everything because I see the impact it has on the families at the hospital, my family and friends as well as followers from around the globe who hear about my mission and want to be a part of it.
IT TRULY IS AN AMAZING LIFE! Cheers to ADVENTURE.