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I have always enjoyed running: whether it was on a soccer field, cross-country trails, or a track. In high school, I created a list of lifetime goals. One item on that list was to compete in a triathlon. Several years later, I signed up for my first triathlon. I enjoyed it so much, I made it my goal to compete in at least one triathlon a year.

Ever since I can remember, my family has donated items, year-round, to the Lupus Foundation of America.  When I discovered that the Reston Triathlon was supporting the CORE Foundation and the Barnett-Searing National Cancer Foundation, I was thrilled to raise money.  In past triathlons, I raced for my own enjoyment, rather than for a cause. This year, I wanted to be a part of something greater than myself, and to inspire others.  When I discovered the Reston Triathlon was supporting the CORE Foundation and the Barnett-Searing National Cancer Foundation, I knew I found my cause.

Shortly after learning that the Reston Triathlon was supporting the aforementioned foundations, I learned that my grandma was diagnosed with bone cancer and would be receiving palliative care.  It was a shock to my family.  She is an incredible woman and one of the most intelligent people I have ever known. She grew up in Panama, and fondly remembers climbing up the mango tree in her backyard to read after school every day. Her love for reading never ceased. It is not uncommon for my grandma to finish a 1,000-page book in a single day. Her community library ran out of books for her to read, because she read them so quickly! In addition to being a skilled reader, her crossword skills could put even the best to shame. Some of the most challenging American crosswords were ‘too easy’ for her, so she enthusiastically began doing the British crossword puzzles instead.

More impressively, my grandma was the only female in her class to graduate with an architectural engineering degree at Louisiana State University. After graduation, she combined her passion for reading and architecture and became the Editor for a well-known architectural magazine, The Architectural Record.

It is very difficult to see someone you love confined to a hospital bed, hooked up to an oxygen tank. While I cannot begin to comprehend the pain my grandma was in, I can relate to the pain family members feel for their loved ones who are suffering from cancer. By doing what I love, for those I love, I am inspired to help others who are suffering from cancer and support their loved ones by raising money for the Barnett-Searing National Cancer Foundation.

CORE Foundation and the Reston Sprint Triathlon thank Maddie Farmer for sharing her inspirational story about grandma, Peg. To learn more about her causes, please visit Maddie’s fundraising page.

Spring is in the air and this is a fantastic time to start your fundraiser. “Race with Purpose” is a new program sponsored by CORE Foundation that allow you to make the most of your Reston Sprint Triathlon experience by enjoying V.I.P Perks including custom RST tri tops, shorts and cycling jerseys while at the same time, helping out a neighbor. CORE created this opportunity because our athletes say they want to enhance their athletic endeavor beyond just personal accomplishment.

Many thanks to CORE Foundation’s top fundraisers so far! Those who have raised over $500:  Fred Aryan, Christina Romeo, Madeline Farmer, Taralyn Kohler, and Brigitta Toruno. CORE’s new “Race with Purpose“ program has raised an additional $10,000 this year, with an additional $20,000 in pledges received. Funds raised will help those in our community who are in need.

Please come to our Meetup THIS Monday, 4/2. at Red’s Table in Reston, 5:30 – 7:30 pm. CORE Foundation’s Executive Director, Taralyn Kohler, will be there to answer your questions and brainstorm on how to make your campaign effective. Some athletes have chosen to enhance their campaign by writing a blog article and allowing us to share their story on social media. Here are some great examples. Those athletes who tell their story often meet their fundraising goals in a week and also share inspiration. After all, isn’t sharing inspiration what this is all about?

Our exciting prize packages for our fundraisers include:

Raise $500 and receive these perks:
Your $105 registration fee credited back OR a custom RST/CORE tri top or custom RST/CORE cycling jersey
Guaranteed early entry to register for 2019 RST
V.I.P. patch for your shirt
V.I.P. packet pick-up
Invitation to CORE Foundation’s end of year recognition celebration

Raise $1000 and receive the Complete V.I.P. Experience:
Your $105 registration fee credited back OR a custom RST/CORE cycling jersey
 Guaranteed early entry to register for 2019 RST
V.I.P. patch for your shirt
V.I.P. packet pick-up
Custom RST/CORE tri top and tri shorts (Valued at $200)
Your story and fundraiser featured on social media
Invitation to CORE Foundation’s end of year recognition celebration

Please note that if you intend to reach the $500+ levels, we must know your intention as the custom tri top and tri bottom and cycling jersey order will be placed on April 5th and we want to ensure that your size is included in the order. If you are able to come to the Meetup THIS Monday, 4/2, sample gear will be available to try on.

 Start your fundraiser today, and “Race with Purpose!”

Happy Birthday Taralyn, and thank you for all the good work that you do for us and the community!

As Executive Director of CORE Foundation the positive impact you have instilled into our organization has been innovative and inspirational. We are proud to have you as a member of our team! Congratulations on your achievements and we look forward to your future triumphs!

Please see more about Taralyn and the innovation she has brought to CORE Foundation since serving as Executive Director. Taralyn inspires us all to BE the CHANGE!

Our family has always been active. Dave (dad) likes to run; Heather (mom) is a Jazzercise instructor; and both boys, Zach (10), and Shawn (7) have been on the swim team since they were 6, biking since they were 4, and have been running since they were born! It only makes sense that the boys should do triathlons. This year will be Zach’s 4th Amyazing triathlon and Shawn’s first. Shawn completed his first triathlon in Herndon, Virginia in late 2017.

When we found out that the Amyazing triathlon was allowing participants to fundraise this year, the whole family was excited. Dave, a professional fundraiser for the Conquer Cancer Foundation, lost his father, the boys’ grandfather, to a brain tumor in 2012. As a family, we want to take every opportunity to raise money that will help families dealing with this terrible disease and allow scientists to find a cure.

Grandpa Glenn Wiemer was Superman. It wasn’t just a nickname – he fully embodied the characteristics of a superhero. Glenn was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes when he was 9 years old, in 1961. Despite this, he was active in sports, including baseball, hockey, and golf, and worked hard in school. Glenn graduated from Northwestern University with a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in education and started teaching at Washburne Middle School in 1974. In 1990, Glenn lost his vision completely due to complications from diabetes. Even though he was blind, Glenn continued to teach until 2009 with the assistance of a classroom aide. Throughout his career as a teacher he was a leader for students and colleagues alike and is always remembered for his sense of humor, intelligence, and love of music.

Zach and Shawn are honored to be completing the Amyazing triathlon in honor of both Amy Boyle, for whom the triathlon was created, and their superhero grandpa, Glenn Wiemer.

CORE Foundation and Be AMYazing! Reston Youth Triathlon would like to thank the Wiemer family for sharing their story. If you would like to help Zach and Shawn meet their fundraising goals, please tap here. To read more about Grandpa Glenn Wiemer (aka Superman), please view this article from the Chicago Tribune.

Encourage your youth athlete to Be AMYazing!

Amy’s Amigos has RYT participant slots available for the 6 to 8 year age group.

Racing in the Be AMYazing! Reston Youth Triathlon helps Amy’s Amigos raise funds for The Childhood Brain Tumor Foundation.

Register HERE

This year I will cross something off my bucket list – completing a Sprint Triathlon! It is the Reston Sprint Triathlon, and it will take place on Sunday, June 3^rd! I am about to turn 55 years old, and this will be my first sprint triathlon. I am up for the challenge! Plus, as you’ll see below, it benefits our community!

About 10 – 15 years ago I became fascinated with triathlons. I had only seen them on TV, and it was probably an Ironman!  That seemed like an unobtainable goal to me, but then I found out about sprint triathlons! That seemed like a goal that I could work towards. You have to understand that 10 – 15 years ago I was overweight, and I barely exercised. How would I ever fit in exercising? Or eating nutritiously? 

It seemed that my time was spent raising my children, taking care of my elderly parents, and running my two businesses. I realize that these are excuses, but that’s where I was for the past many years. Fast forward to five years ago and a life changing divorce. I started to feel more motivated to exercise. I had a personal trainer that helped me get to the point where I started jogging and then running 5Ks. I participated in a 5K for five months in a row. Winter hit, and I stopped running the 5Ks. Motivation waned in the last few years. I practiced yoga (and meditation) and walking and hiking. But that sprint triathlon was always in the back of my mind. 

In 2017, I lost 20 pounds on my own. I did not use any particular diet plan. I reached deep inside of me for self-discipline in my nutrition. As the pounds started coming off, I again found a personal trainer in a friend of mine, Pilar Lorca who has her own personal training company called Fitness4Everybody.  I started to feel stronger, even as I continued to lose weight.

Many years ago I had signed-up to receive emails from the Reston Sprint Triathlon organization. When I saw an email reminder to register come in early January, I was inspired to register! I have five months to train, and I am very excited!  It just goes to show that anything is possible! 

When I saw that there was a fundraising opportunity attached to the registration that will benefit the non-profit Cornerstones, I decided to join in and enhance my experience beyond my personal achievement.  Thanks to my friends and family, I have already raised over $200 toward my $1000 goal.  I’m a true believer in giving back to the community. There are incentives tied to the fundraiser, but even if there weren’t, I would still want to help raise funds for Cornerstones. 

Wish me luck and steady training!  See you on 6/3/18!

Brigitta S. Toruño

Please welcome to CORE Foundation our new acting Executive Director, Taralyn Tharp Kohler. Taralyn is thrilled to join The CORE Foundation’s leadership team, and shares the belief in the model of social change by giving others a hand up not just a hand out. Taralyn was attracted to CORE Foundation’s social entrepreneur structure which varies from many 501(c)3s which focus on only one “cause.” Instead, CORE Foundation supports many causes locally, and pools together administrative and business resources while offering coaching and mentoring. This allows the causes to focus on generating donor revenue and making a difference effectively. By seeding leadership and skills locally, Taralyn feels that we can make for a stronger sustainable community for generations to come.

CORE Foundation excels in fundraising through events like triathlon and golf tournaments which also mirror Taralyn’s personal passion for sports. Ironically, Taralyn was introduced to CORE Foundation when she participated as an athlete in the 2016 Reston Sprint Triathlon (RST) which was also her first triathlon. RST is the largest triathlon in Northern Virginia, bringing together over 1000 athletes, and has a unique community feel. A portion of each athlete’s race fee is seeded back into the underserved community in Northern Virginia.

Taralyn looks forward to introducing some exciting new programs to CORE Foundation and RST this year that stress the ideas of helping your neighbor and making a difference through sports. These include the opportunity to fundraise and “Race for Free” earning back your race fee as an incentive for fundraising as well as the opportunity to purchase custom RST / CORE Foundation tri tops and tri shorts to further spread awareness of neighbors helping neighbors.