No, we are not suggesting that running leads to cancer. But, we are going to talk about how they happen to be related via our guests and our opportunity tonight. We have two really interesting guest-hosts this Thursday, September 12 from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. PT/9:00 – 10:00 p.m. ET — 14-year-old Winter Vinecki and Drew Izzo of Athlete.com. We also have three terrific prizes for this #DadChat which you can read about at the end of this column.
This #DadChat is going to give you the opportunity to participate in a great fund-raiser, learn more about prostate cancer, running, and the incredible journey/saga of young Winter.
Winter’s story is a long one. Her dad – pictured above with a much younger Winter – was diagnosed with prostate cancer and later died from it. She chose to honor his life and legacy by creating a non-profit awareness movement about prostrate cancer. This includes her fund-raising efforts in many ways with the center-piece being her attempt (5/7 completed – she finished the Kenya marathon in the photo at the beginning of this post) of running a marathon on every continent in the world.
Athlete.com and Winter are doing a cool fund-raiser in September in which you can participate. I just registered and I’m excited to be a part of it. This #DadChat is not going to have ANY coercion to donate money or participate in this event unless you want to. Mostly, we want to make YOU and others aware of it.
During the month of September, you can run, walk, or wheelchair to make a difference in the lives of the One in Six men who are diagnosed with Prostate Cancer.
In this virtual event, you can run how, where, and when you want. Here’s how it works:
- Register, and get Awesome Swag (like the glasses pictured above) – read more about what you get on the registration site!
- Invite Pledges from Friends
- Track Your Activities on Athlete.com
- Make a difference
Two ways to help:
- Join and run for a cause (it costs $45): www.athlete.com/s1x
- Sponsor Winter’s miles: www.athlete.com/Winter
Read more about Prostate Cancer HERE.
We’re giving away a pair of XX2i Optics sunglasses (seen in the photo further up) — Free but you must pay for S/H, two pair of LockLaces and a Teamwinter/Infinit Water bottle by Nathan Hydration.
- XX2i Optice is providing a free pair of XX2i Optics Sunglasses.*
- * XX2i is generously providing a coupon for your choice of their awesome specs from $55 to $150 (for two pair, and three extra sets of lenses!). There will be a $24.95 shipping/handling fee here, so you can guess which product we’ll be choosing.
We’re giving away TWO sets of lock lace shoe-laces – the newest, coolest laces out!
And, finally, we’re giving away a Teamwinter & Infinit branded Fire and Ice bottle by Nathan Hydration (pictured above).
About Winter Vinecki:
Winter Vinecki lost her Dad to prostate cancer when she was 9. Rather than be sad, she decided to try to make a difference and formed teamwinter.org a 501c3 nonprofit to raise money and awareness for prostate cancer. She had already been racing triathlons since 5 but, began to race for a cause so other families wouldn’t endure what her’s has. Racing in memory of her Dad to promote Team Winter, she went on to become the national ironkids triathlon champ for 2010 & 2011 and finished her third year as the official ambassador of the sport of triathlon.
She was the 2011 recipient of the Annika Inspiration Award in NYC. At that event she met Aerial’s Olympian Emily Cook who convinced her to try out for the Fly Elite Freestyle Aerials team in Park City. After a week-long camp, Fly Elite decided to sponsor Winter as a 2018 Olympic hopeful in Freestyle Aerials. This decision to join Fly took Winter away from home ‘for good’ at age 13. She now lives as a host Daughter with Drew & Christina Izzo in Park City Utah and their two kids – Parker and Emma. While in Park City, Winter trains year round for aerials skiing and attends Stanford’s prestigious online high school for gifted youth. Winter’s Mom and 3 brothers live in Oregon and they are able to visit as often as possible at races across the country and brief periods of downtime between training sessions.
In addition, Winter made a decision shortly after her Dad’s death that she wanted to claim the record as the youngest person ever to complete a marathon on every continent – in memory of her Dad. She’s began that quest in 2012 and has completed 5 of the 7 continents so far – including setting a new world record as the youngest person ever to complete a marathon on Antarctica Marathon and placing first overall women in the “hardest marathon in the world” on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu Peru. She leaves for New Zealand in early October and plans to finish the tour in November of this year at age 14 and set a new world by running the original route of Philippides from Marathon to Athens Greece.
