Thank you..........

Wow! What a weekend!!! THANK YOU RACERS – you all did an unbelievable job, and I am so proud of your accomplishments!

I want to thank the city of Sea Isle, Piranha Sports, all of our sponsors - and especially all of our family and friends who have been such a huge help and a great source of encouragement and support.

When I took this challenge on in January, I knew nothing - I didn't even know where to begin. To learn how to coordinate an event like this is not easy, and I have no idea how Matt did it. I have a new found appreciation for all of the work he did.

Matt did not leave behind much information on how he developed and ran this event (I think he kept it in his thick head!) I am not exactly an athlete, and had absolutely no experience with triathlons. The challenge was a very daunting one, but I knew I had to take it on, as TRI For Our Veterans was something Matt was extremely proud of, and it meant a great deal to him. He was so passionate and dedicated, and there was no way I could have let him, or the cause down.

There were a few bumps along the way, especially for a first time race director, and I would never have been able to organize or direct this event without these very special people:

1. Neil Semmel (Piranha Sports). I had never met Neil until after Matt passed away. After our first meeting, he made me feel so comfortable. He is an incredible teacher, has dedicated so much of his free time to helping me, giving me advice and guidance, and being my "go to guy" for pretty much everything! Neil, you are wonderful and a simple "thank you" is not enough.

2. The city of Sea Isle. The Mayor's Office, Police Dept., Recreation Dept. Dept of Public Works, the Beach Patrol - I cannot begin to tell you how incredibly NICE these people are. They have done so much, are so generous with their time, and great to work with. Vicki, Pattiann, Mike, John, and Renny - you are why Sea Isle is the great city that it truly is - THANK YOU!!

3. The Lynn Family......Uncle Buck is my right hand man. Although he tells way too many stories and bad jokes (which only he laughs at) he has been a huge help - attending all meetings, gaining new sponsors, and devoting much of his free time to the planning of this TRI. Aunt Patti – the greatest volunteer coordinator on earth! Organized should have been her middle name. Amy, Reenie, BJ, Doc and Melissa – thank you for all of your help and support, “Miles for Matt” was in full effect! Mikey and Zach – you are hired next year! By far the funniest and most entertaining finish line announcers out there, I am still laughing at some of the comments!

4. The Fordham Boys……Matt would have been proud! You were all on time, sober, and a HUGE help. I truly hope that you will come into town each year, we don’t get to see you enough!

5. Team Microsoft – quite possibly my 2 favorite people of the weekend! Rob and Fitz, thank you for traveling so far, keeping Matt’s memory alive, and talking with my mom. I enjoyed your company – and can’t wait to see those pictures!

6. Our generous sponsors….we raised over 40k for the Injured Marines Semper Fi Foundation and VFW Post 1963! It is incredible, and will make a difference in so many lives.

7. Team Semper Fi – did you see these guys??? Unbelievable. Not only are they extremely talented, they are extremely NICE on top of it all! It was an honor and privilege to meet them, and I look forward to seeing them all next year!

8. My mom and dad……As you can imagine, it has been a tough 4 months for them. Matt was their first born, they were so proud of all of his accomplishments, and there is not a second that goes by when they do not miss him and his huge smile. Through their grief, they have been a huge support and confidence booster for me. Even when I was stressed to the max, they believed in me. Love you guys!

9. My husband……Brett took on A LOT these past few months as I have been adjusting to life without my brother and best friend. There were many days/nights when we didn’t even see each other, as I devoted much of my time to this race. We have 2 little ones (1.5 and almost 3) and he has really stepped up to the plate! Thank you and love you too!

10. To all of our friends, family, and even strangers…….! Your dedication, cooperation, generosity, kind words, and support is what makes this event what it is. I am completely taken aback by the feeling of community that I have experienced over the past few months. Many of you stopped to share stories of Matt with our family - you have no idea how much this means to us. His name is spoken in our homes everyday, and we feel blessed that he is still remembered by so many of you.

I met some of the greatest people this weekend – many of whom said that TRI For Our Vets is their favorite race of the year. I hope it continues to be so for many years to come!

As I looked out over the crowd on Saturday, I saw nothing but smiles. That, along with knowing that our appreciation for our military is the basis of why we come together each year, is worth more to me than you will ever know.

Thank you for another great year and Happy Memorial Day!

One Week To Go..............

Are you ready?? I think I am - just putting the final touches on some things and I think we are all set!

Athlete Guides should be sent out on Monday to everyone who has registered. In it you will find some changes (the registration site has not been updated as of yet.)

Here are a few highlights.......

1. Packet Pick-up is on Friday the 28th at the VFW (JFK Blvd in Sea Isle City) 4:30 - 8:30 pm. You MUST have valid ID to receive your packet. You CANNOT pick up a packet for another person. Body marking will also be completed at the VFW. New to TRI's?? There is a First Timer's Meeting at 7 where all of your questions and concerns will be answered.

2. You can also pick up your packets the morning of the race between 5 and 6:30 am. There is NO WAIT LIST or SPOTS AVAILABLE!

3. There is a MANDATORY pre-race meeting in the Transition Area at 6:40 am. THE RACE STARTS AT 7 AM THIS YEAR!

4. The COURSE HAS CHANGED FROM PREVIOUS YEARS......

The swim remains the same.

The Bike Course will now be 8.3 miles, as opposed to 12.3 miles (I'm sure you are all very upset by this!) Landis Ave was completely under construction this Spring and the completion date was originally set for June.

You will now exit the Transition area, make a RIGHT onto Pleasure Ave., a LEFT onto 39th, and a RIGHT onto Landis Ave. Proceed North towards Strathmere until the turn around point. The bike return will head South on Landis Ave, make a LEFT onto 40th, and into the Transition area.

The run portion has also changed, due to high tide. This will not be a beach run, as it has been in the past. You will now exit the Transition area onto the Promenade. Run South on the Promenade to 57th, exit Promenade, make a LEFT onto Pleasure Ave, run South to 69th (this is the turn around point, water/HEED station.) Then proceed back North, the same route.

The Finish Line will be on the North side of the Pavilion on the Promenade.

If you have done this race in the past,I know it sounds like alot of changes; but I think you will agree that this route is simpler and much safer.

I mentioned in a previous post that, this year the shirts will be yellow. Well, wouldn't you know it.......... the company decided to discontinue the color, and keep that little tid bit to themselves!

Just another bump in the road, and at the end of the day, not a big deal. Let's remember what this TRI is all about - when considering all of our service men and women - the color of a shirt is a pathetic thing to get upset about. So grey it is for the shirts....... (but who doesn't love a grey shirt, right?)

Wish me luck..............tomorrow I will be on a jet ski setting the flags for the swim! (I wish I looked this good in a wet suit, though! I miss and love you, MBM!)

SOLD OUT!!!!

Thank you! It doesn't seem to be enough - but I would like to thank all who have registered to race, sponsored, donated, or who are volunteering. The amount of support is amazing.

When I first took on this new position of Race Director, I think there were just under 100 people registered. I will admit it - I was discouraged, afraid, nervous, and anxious over the idea of not having the race sell-out, as it has the past 2 years. I didn't want to let Matt, The Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund, or the City of Sea Isle down. The pressure was definitly on.

I have had so much help and support from so many incredible people - and we are not finished yet! There is still alot of preparation to do, but I am now even more confident that this year will be a success as well.

I appreciate all of your efforts more than you will ever know.