Thursday, October 22, 2009

Local Sacramento Woman Running Triathlon to Raise Money and Awareness

A Sacramento resident, Kendra Nielsam, will be participating in the 2009 Ironman Triathlon on November 7 2009. That means swimming 2.4 miles, biking 112 miles, and running 26.2 miles. I couldn't fathom such a thing. My biggest physical accomplishment is hiking 10 miles, so for anyone who can do a triathlon, I say Wow and congratulations, no matter what your finishing time is. For the Ironman Florida the cut off is 17 hours and Kendra is hoping she can finish in time.

Kendra has teamed up with the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness and the Janus Charity Challenge in hopes of raising $2,500 towards Celiac awareness, and so far has raised about $1,700. Let's show some support for both a local and someone with Celiac. When I spoke with Kendra, here are some tidbits she shared:

When were you diagnosed with Celiac? "I was officially diagnosed with celiac about 2 weeks ago, although my doctor told me in February that I had a gluten allergy, so I've been gluten free since February"

How long have you been an athlete? "I guess I've been an athlete all my life minus a few years during college and law school."

Have you participated in a triathlon before and if so how did you do? "I've done about 5 triathlons, including 2 at the half Ironman distance. I usually finish near the back of the pack, although in April I finished second in my division in a sprint triathlon in Granite Bay. This will be my first attempt at the full Ironman distance so my goal is just to finish within the 17 hour time limit."

What's your favorite gluten free snack? "Probably a Cashew Cookie Larabar. The ratio of protein to carb is 1:4 which is great for a post-workout recovery snack."

You can read her complete personal story here

To make a donation please visit her donation page.

You can also follow her on twitter

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