2009 Recap
I trust that everyone had an enjoyable Christmas, and if your Christmas was light on excitement take a moment to read Shannon’s Christmas Day post. It’s sure to make your heart race too!
As we prepare to put 2009 in the books, it’s a great time to look back at the year and see what went right, what went wrong, and what we can do to make 2010 an even better year.
Overall, 2009 was a banner year for HFP Racing and Ohio Mutlisport in general. More than 50 races statewide, with the HFP Racing Wheelie Fun Series showing more than a 20% increase in attendance. What makes that even more exciting is to look deeper at the numbers and see where the increase had the most impact – ladies and “masters”. More and more ladies are getting hooked on the sport, and more people over 40 are getting fit and getting in too. With the introduction of the “Girls Tri Too” series and the beginner friendly format, expect to see ladies races skyrocket this year.
We had a few “ulgies” this year too – with racers being injured while training for races. In May, Laureen Gachowski was hit by a car while on a long ride. Her mom tells the next part of her story: “Laureen was biking on a country road when the last she remembers was seeing a car and then waking up on the side of the road. She was taken to the emergency room where she was immediately admitted to the hospital to be treated for a concussion, and prepped for surgery for her broken jaw, multiple injuries to the inside of her mouth (holes in the tongue, torn skin and disconnected nerves), torn flesh on her face, and also cared for the several bruises on her neck, hands, arms, and legs.“ Laureen didn’t let the injury end her triathlon career, but it did make her work hard on her recovery. Hard enough in fact that she placed in the top 3 in her Age Group at both the Great Buckeye Challenge and the Toyota Challenge at Deer Creek later in the season. I remember standing on “the hill” at the GBC with Lauren’s mom, watching the concern in her face with each passing hour Laureen was on the bike. As athletes, we often forget the loved ones waiting in transition, and the information “black hole” they are in while we are slugging it out with our own tri demons. I can’t remember a brighter smile than Laureen’s mom as she watched her daughter cross the finish line. Thanks for sharing that day with us.
In September, two more of our racing brothers ate pavement at the hands of a careless driver. Details of the Tobin/Hensinger incident are in several other blogs on this page (Race Pictures and Memories) and at www.teamtobin.net and don’t need to be recapped here. Both athletes were very seriously injured, and the prognosis wasn’t pretty. In October we held a benefit for both of them, and the triathlon community showed its real soul by coming through and making the night a huge success. (See “From Tragedy to Triumph”). An update from that night makes it even more special, as Brett is already back to riding, and Shane – with some great help from Physical Therapists and an incredibly strong spirit – has taken his first steps (3 to be exact) toward his own recovery. Yes, the kid the Doctors said wouldn’t walk again has started walking toward the start line! Stay strong and work hard Shane, and we’ll be ready when you are.
We also got to watch one of our own finish his last race with us for a while as HFP Superstaffer Luke Phillips reported to the US Navy in November. (See “View from the Hill – Sept 14). We trust he’s excelling at Basic Training, but as expected we don’t hear much between pushups and marches. It’s with Luke and his fellow servicemen and women in mind that HFP Racing teamed up with the US Air Force and an HFP Racer stationed overseas to present the 2010 Armed Forces Run in Southwest Asia. Details are still being declassified (unclassified?) but we’ll pass them along and let you know how you can support the race stateside as well. Keep our military in your thoughts and prayers this holiday season (and always) as they won’t get to be with their loved ones, but their efforts ensure that we get to spend the holidays with ours. Thanks to all our uniforms, and Oo-rah!
Thanks for a great 2009 season, and we look forward to an even better 2010.
See you on race day!
Rich
