Miles 114, 115 and 116

Dr. Marium Holland is sponsoring miles 114, 115, and 116!!  I'm so excited to have her support.  She is also a triathlete and is on a quest to become an Ironman with me on May 19, 2012.  She is so dedicated to the sport and she is an absolute inspiration to me.  I think Marium has been racing and/or training almost non-stop since our Galveston Half Ironman in April with Team in Training.  She has a great, uplifting spirit, a lot of knowledge to share, and not to mention some super supportive words of encouragement.  In short, she's just a joy to know!  Here is why she is sponsoring Miles 114-116:

"I want three of your miles. This may sound a bit odd, but consider 1 of them from me and 2 from 2 women that would support you if they could. The mile from me is for Mitzie. Your mom must have been an incredible woman, and I know she is so proud of you & all you are doing! The second mile is "from" my paternal grandmother, Lucille Holland. She was fortunate enough to have her ovarian cancer diagnosed early, after udergoing surgery and chemo made it past the 5 year mark before passing away from a heart attack. She was a wonderful grandmother and an incredibly strong woman - she was actually in the women's branch of the Marines during WWII (picked the Marines because she liked their uniforms the best!). The 3rd is from Heather, one of my first ovarian cancer patients when I was a resident. She was 33 when she was diagnosed with stage IIIC. After her diagnosis, her husband left her; fortunately her parents were wonderful and stayed by her side. During most of the 2 years I knew her she was continuously in and out of the hospital with complications of her multiple surgeries and chemotherapy, too weak to walk, and in a great deal of pain. She always had a smile for her team, and taught me so much about how extraordinary people can be. She passed away when she was 37, after an incredible 4 year battle. I've always wanted to do something in her memory, and I can't think of a better thing to do than to help you go 140.6 miles! I know that Heather and my grandmother would have loved the idea of someone becoming an Ironman while fundraising to cure their cancer! If it's OK, I would like Heather's mile to be mile 114 - I do believe that's when you'll be getting off the bike and onto the RUN! "

Thank you so much Marium!!  I can't wait until May 19, 2012, when we both get to become an Ironman!