United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

Hi,

I just sent this e-mail to everyone who has purchased or inquired about the athletic arm sling but I wanted to make sure everybody on here knew about this and got invited too. I know about the BPI camp and don't want anybody to think I am trying to take anything away from that wonderful event, I just want to include all of "us" in the broader Challenged Athletes community and be part of a weekend focused on athletics.

I am inviting you to come be part of an amazing weekend in San Diego with the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF), October 21-23rd, 2011. Here is a link with more details and videos of the event: http://www.challengedathletes.org/site/ ... llenge.htm

Last year with only a month of planning, we got six of us BPI’ers to this event with four of us competing in the triathlon. This is such a great weekend; it is not just a one day event. There is an amazing Celebration of Abilities Banquet on Friday night, a swim clinic Saturday and our own BPI BBQ Saturday night and then the Triathlon Sunday.

I would love to see us put together a few “Team Wingers” and really have a strong presence from the BPI community. They have shortened the event a little this year, but the distances are still challenging. The swim is a one mile course in the La Jolla Cove, the bike ride is a 50 mile ride around La Jolla, Encinitas and Carlsbad and the run is a 10 mile run from La Jolla to Torrey Pines and back. If you want to be part of a team, please let me know and I will coordinate getting you with a few others.

As this is one of CAF’s big fundraisers, each team member commits to raising $500.00 as your entry fee to participate. CAF sets up a web page for you and makes it really easy to raise funds. If you haven’t done this before, it is really easy, your friends and family will love to support you and make a donation to your efforts. Just so you know, CAF has supported many BPI’ers over the years, helping them to get bikes and other adaptive sports equipment.

If you don’t want to compete, but still want to be part of this weekend, please do not hesitate to come, you will truly be inspired and will have a great time. You can attend all the events; Friday banquet and Saturday Swim Clinic are open to you as well. Of course you can come to the BBQ we do on Saturday night just for us.

It is hard to put into words how much the six of us enjoyed last year’s event, developed some great relationships and can’t wait for this year to get back together. Not only did we enjoy it, we were inspired by the other challenged athletes and also learned a new amazing one arm swim technique.

Please let me know if you are interested in coming to ether participate or to just be there and I will start working on the accommodations.

You can call me on my cell at: 818-636-8109 or e-mail me at: dan@aldrichwealth.com

Hope to see all of you in October.
Dan

Easily the most inspiring weekend in my whole life!!!

Inspiring regardless of whether I was injured or not! Being around so many challenged athletes, all over coming obstacles of varying degrees, was so uplifting. You can't help but feel a sense of overwhelming camaraderie of the human spirit!

I highly recommend everyone to go, ESPECIALLY if the struggle with BPI has ever held you down at times.

Even though this seems to be primarily a physical event, it is truly one of the SPIRIT and HEART. It helped prove to me that this injury affected my heart, spirit, and head much more than it did my body... and it was the ticket to really heal those places (and seriously kick my butt in to shape too).

I doubt anyone could walk away from an event like this with out feeling a deep sense of honor to be included in such a brilliant display of human spirit and triumph, and be surrounded by such great and humble people.

I promise each and everyone of you that if you go you will not regret it, and always be grateful you went! I promise. It changed my life.

Cheers,
Christopher

Also meeting other TBPIs was extremely inspirational and cathartic all in itself.

We were all on different levels of recovery and all had something to offer and give to each other no matter how recent anyone had been injured, or how engaged they were in pursuing a physical lifestyle.

Thanks Dan for rallying us all together!!!
Truly an awesome thing.

Chris

Here's the great crew from last year (love you guys!):

If I didn't already have out of country plans that weekend, I would be there for sure. I'm planning to be at the Amsterdam 1/2 marathon if I can get my training together.

I met members of CAF last weekend, as they were hosting an adaptive swim clinic in Chicago with my paratriathlon training group. It was great -- not only did I actually learn how to swim with one arm, but I also saw other athletes with all types of challenges getting the job done. If my 1 hour clinic was great, I can only imagine that this weekend is better.

Keep me in the loop for 2012 Dan!


-MW

Well, it looks like we will have a full "Team Winger" two VIP's of CAF and one cheerleader.

Team Winger will be:
Dan - Swimming 1 mile
Fernando - Riding 44 miles - and it is hilly.
Chris - Running 10 miles.

The two Challenged Athletes Foundation VIP's will be:
Robin - I think three time USA Paratriathlon National Champion and a week ago 4th place in the World Paratriathlon Championships in China......just missed 3rd place by seconds.
Joel - Two time USA Paratriathlon National Champion and two time representative for the USA at the World Paratriathlon Championships.

Our cheerleader will be JoAnne, she was injured about four years ago and is looking to get athletic again and thought this weekend would be a great way to get inspired. She used to swim in the ocean all the time and can't wait for the swim clinic on Saturday to learn some one arm tips.

I should also mention, we will really have seven BPI'ers there as last years CAF inpirational athlete of the year, Paul Fejtek, an OBPI will be there too.

If anyone can make it to San Diego the weekend of October 22, we would love to see you.

Dan

We need a runner! Just learned Chris has a business conflict that weekend.

If there is any possibility you can make it, please let me know. Chris said he will help with the fundrasing/entry fee and there is a possibilty of free lodging. So do not let money be the main issue that would hold you back from coming, unless you are trying to travel from Australia and the air fare might be a bit expensive

Dan

Awesome Group,Dan & Christopher!
I wish you 'Wings on Fire" !
I will be there in Spirit.
Carolyn J
LOBPI/73