Need incentive to do a triathlon? Try this: cancer.

Directly, or indirectly, that's the motivating factor for many of the 32 women on Team FIGHT who will be participating in the Aflac Iron Girl triathlon Sunday, Aug. 24, in Columbia.

The race starts and finishes in Centennial Park and includes a .6-mile swim, a 17.5-mile bike and a 3.3-mile run. It is one of 10 Aflac Iron Girl triathlons across the nation, and for a good portion of the 2,100 Columbia race participants this will be their first triathlon.

While this is the third year for the Iron Girl in Columbia, it is the first year for Team FIGHT, whose purpose is two-fold. First, to help train women to complete the triathlon, and second to raise money and awareness for the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults.

The UCF is the national charity partner for the Iron Girl.

"The whole idea is to raise the light on young adults with cancer," said Kelly Lance, grassroots events coordinator for UCF and chief cheerleader, and recruiter, for Team FIGHT.

UCF executive director Brock Yetso is among those who helps with the Team FIGHT triathlon training.

For a $500 fundraising pledge Team FIGHT members get an entry into the Iron Girl, a uniform, training, support and camaraderie.

Lance said Team FIGHT would like to raise $75,000 this year.

Many of the team members have been touched by cancer.

"I had skin cancer," said Lynn Thomas, who will be doing her second Iron Girl since June.

"One of my best friends, a neighbor, is battling breast cancer at 33," said Julie Pistorio. "That was an eye opener for me ... It has put it in my mind that we are not invincible."

Kaitlin Sighinolfi, another Team FIGHT member, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma in January 2007 at the age of 24. She knew she could sit in the corner and pity herself or she could fight. She chose the second option, and has been in remission for over a year.

January 2007 was pivotal for Jen Andrews, too. Her New Year's resolution was to get healthy and become a role model for her two young daughters.

By Easter she had lost 35 pounds, and in a weak moment while sitting on the beach, she accepted a friend's invitation to do a triathlon.

"Then I went home and realized what a triathlon was. I could not swim, I hadn't biked since elementary school and I did not, under any circumstances, ever run," Andrews said.

She and her friend trained diligently for the 2007 Iron Girl, and Andrews confronted her fear of swimming.

"I joke that I found myself in Centennial Lake. Last year at a practice swim, I panicked and freaked out. I cut the swim short and didn't finish it. I felt so defeated."

Then she realized that if she couldn't complete the swim, she couldn't do the triathlon. She decided that it was OK to fail, but not OK to be a quitter, and the next day she swam from jetty to jetty in Gunpowder State Park. It took a long time.

Andrews finished the 2007 Iron Girl and continued to train. She's done 5k runs, a half marathon, the Columbia Triathlon in May and a women's triathlon in Philadelphia in July.

But she decided that she wanted to be on a team and that led her to Team FIGHT. Andrews quickly became the unofficial team captain.

"I love the Ulman Cancer Fund. The fact that they are local and they help the most ignored group with cancer (young adults), to help them and help raise awareness is an awesome thing," she said. "Every week Kelly shares a story with us and tells us where our money goes. There are women on our team who are cancer survivors and so am I."

The money raised goes to the UCF scholarship program. This year 11 scholarships of $2,500 each were awarded.

Brittany Williams, one of the 2007-08 UCF scholarship winners, is doing the Iron Girl, and so is Aflac representative Melissa Evans, another Team FIGHT member.

"I feel privileged to be doing the race on behalf of Aflac," Evans said. "It shows that Aflac is out there in the community not just as an insurance company."

"Aflac is a wonderful fit for us," Lance said. "They are very involved with cancer and pediatric cancer."

Aflac and its sales associates have contributed over $40 million to the Aflac Cancer Center and Blood Disorders Service of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.

"It is so cool to see some kick-ass women of all different shapes and sizes competing in the Iron Girl. All are there for the same goal and they will support each other," Andrews said. "I love this race. I love telling people I am a Columbia (triathlon) finisher, but I am most proud of telling people I am an Iron Girl."

Andrews, who has now lost 115 pounds, says finishing the race provides a special feeling.

"Empowerment -- that is what the Iron Girl is all about. It is for you. Even if you are a mom and a wife, you can do this," she said.

And you can do it even if you have had cancer.

user comments (1)

user 1blondie says...

Kudos to you Jen Andrews and all the other women participating in the Iron Girl Events, you are an inspiration to us all. Ihope to join you in one of those triathlons one day. :)

Posted 5:27 PM, 08.22.08

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