Julie Seneca, one of the amazing accounting wizards who keeps us all together at Maupin Travel, suggested we do the Sola Hot Mini 5k as part of our forty acts of kindness, and we a great time participating in this year’s event! The Sola Hot Mini 5K celebrated its sixth year a couple of weeks ago, and partnered with Team Drea to fundraise for the Duke ALS Clinic in partnership with the Team Drea Foundation. The race, which is part of the 2019 Second Empire Grand Prix Series, was a major success!
The Team Drea Foundation, who partnered with Sola for the event, was founded in 2015 by a young woman named Andrea Lytle Peet. Andrea was diagnosed with ALS at the age of 33, less than one year after she completed five triathlons, including a 70.3 half iron man. One month after she was diagnosed with ALS she did a super spring triathlon and was featured in Endurance Magazine. in 2015 she completed her first marathon in her recumbent bike, right here in the City of Oaks.
The prognosis for individuals diagnosed with ALS is two to five years. With six triathlons and several marathons under her belt, Andrea made a pact with herself that she’d do twelve races (a healthy mix of marathons, half marathons, and triathlons) and dedicate each experience to someone with ALS who served as an inspiration in her own journey. That was in 2016. Now in 2019, still active and with her own foundation that has inspired 150+ athletes and raised over $165,000 for ALS research, Andrea still asks herself “What’s Next?” after she completed each race. The Team Drea Foundation “funds and supports bold, innovative research to find a cure or effective treatment for ALS. We see raising awareness about this devastating disease as an opportunity to inspire people to live bravely, love joyfully, and appreciate the gift of life.”
We were honored to participate in this race. With a mixed team of walkers and runners (one from our corporate office who finished in about 20 minutes!), it was great fun to get out of the office with our colleagues and do something that not only promotes our own health, but helps our community. Over 650 runners, walkers, and supporters showed up for the event, and there was even a magnificent pop-up market at the end to celebrate! We are so looking forward to participating in the 2020 race as a team.
