OMG! Like a post two days in a row!

James Pearson is on my triathlon team and is participating in the Cadence Kona Challenge (http://www.cadencekonachallenge.com/), which started with over 100 participants and was whittled down to 6 finalists. All six finalists have been training for Ironman in Lake Placid in July, with a chance to qualify for Ironman World Championships in Hawaii. The catch, though, is that there are only 2 spots for the Lake Placid race, and the 2 finalists with the most votes gets to race in Lake Placid, and the other 4 will have to find another race on their own, or do the training for nothing.

To vote, simply send an email to triathletemagcontest@gmail.com with your choice of 2 of the athletes you'd like to see win (with James Peason as one). Select the other finalist from these:

Kate Conklin, age 32: Nebraska’s Conklin, a former collegiate swimmer and CPA, suffers from a rare blood disorder called erythromelalgia in which blood vessels become blocked and inflamed, producing burning pain and redness. Because of her condition, Conklin is forced to ride and run specially modified sandals. Still, despite her condition, Conklin has reframed the pain and hopes to motivate others through her participation and success in the sport.

Mary Lou Hoffman, age 44: Hoffman, a project manager from New York, hasn’t always been an athlete. In fact, over the past four years she has lost more than 100 pounds and successfully battled kidney cancer while crafting her body into that of an athlete. Although she has only tackled sprint-distance events, Hoffman is determined not to squander the second chance life has afforded her. As such, she is motivated to continue her transformation to a healthy way of living.

Elizabeth Wittmaack, age 26: A spirited former high-school basketball player from New Jersey, Wittmack raced the challenging Ironman Lake Placid, in upstate New York, in 2007, her first year in the sport, and went an impressive 11:23:35. Now Wittmack, who works in medical sales, hopes to get to Kona.

Scott Sharpe, age 35: Scott Sharpe is a lab technician from Kingston, Ontario, Canada. After recovering from a punishing battle with Crohn’s disease in 2002—a condition he now has been able to bring under control—Sharpe, inspired by a co-worker, was persuaded to give multisport a shot on a used road bike in 2006. Now, with four triathlons and numerous running races to his credit, he’s keen to tackle the Ironman.

James Pearson, age 30: A Royal Navy mine-clearance diving officer, Pearson is currently stationed in Washington, D.C. with his wife, Wendy. Pearson is heading into his second season as a triathlete and has raced one half-Ironman-distance race. After tragically losing his infant daughter to a rare heart defect in 2006, Pearson, with his wife’s blessing, turned to triathlon to help find focus and reassert control over his life.

Randy Christofferson, age 50: This former American Express exec and president of First USA Bank from Delaware is now an independent consultant who has been racing triathlons—along with his son—for six years. Christofferson has three Ironman races to his credit. His ultimate triathlon goal is to go low to sub-10 hours in Kona.

Thanks for helping a fellow Hokie get his buddy a spot in the race.

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If link above doesn't work, copy and paste:
http://januscharitychallenge.kintera.org/faf/r.asp?t=4&i=247341&u=247341-189187586