This is what your Tri means to kids...

Dear Jodie and Barry,

I wanted to thank you for taking time to put together the Boulder Kid'sTriathlon. My daughter, Julia, is 4-years-old. At the age of 18 months,she was diagnosed with a life-threatening birth defect of her trachea called Congenital Subglottic Stenosis. This means her airway is 60% smaller than most children her age. It's like breathing through a straw for her, especially during strenuous exercise. For the past several years, she has had to limit her physical activity because she simplycould not get enough air. Her doctor's told me that she has avoidedsurgery, but most likely won't ever run marathons or climb mountains. As a triathlete, that made me so sad for her.

The past year, she has adapted amazingly to her condition.. She's become a bicycle fiend and loves to watch Mommy and Daddy compete. Yesterday she did her first triathlon and was fiercely independent about it. She insisted, "I can do it by myself, Daddy. I don't need help." But most importantly, as you can see in this picture, she was full of joy and pride, no matter how slow she was. And that means more to me, as her mother, than anything in the world. She told me, "Other kids were faster than me, but I ran really hard!" Thank you for giving her this opportunity to see that life is what you make of it and that everyone who tries is a winner!

Melanie Cozard

PS. Please forward this to your volunteers so they may know how much their work is appreciated!