September 16, 2011
by: Renee Canfield
Motivation to Move Throughout the Year
What an inspiring year for Team UCP! The 25th Annual Cleveland Triathlon experience for Team UCP was another great success! Seventeen family teams and two employee teams participated in the race, with a total of 370 race participants, as well as 170 volunteers assisting with the race logistics. The joy and excitement on the kids’ faces as family members pulled them in bike trailers during the cycle leg and pushed them in jogging strollers during the run portion was incredible! Myles’ Dad even pulled him in a boat during the swim portion! Everyone that attended left the event feeling proud of what had been accomplished and Inspired to Tri again next August.
See Team UCP pictures of this year’s race on Flickr.
UCP’s slogan, Inspired to TRI, signifies each member’s desire to push themselves to the limits in honor of those who work hard every day to be independent members of the community. All during the first part of 2010 leading up to the triathlon, families and supporters were motivated to get up, get moving and train. Many groups made it a family event, training together with their partners and children as often as possible. Families and staff teams hosted bar/restaurant events, bake sales, cook-offs and wine tastings. The adult clients at UCP sold tomato plants grown in their garden during horticulture therapy to support the cause. All of that effort paid off. The fundraising total has reached $201,433 so far and donations continue to come in celebrating Team UCP’s amazing accomplishment! We are hopeful that we will meet our $215,000 fundraising goal.
So what is the next step for Team UCP? Don’t let go of the momentum! Keep the health and wellness focus throughout the year. Eat healthy, fresh foods whenever possible—farmer’s markets in the area stay open well into October. Stay active as a family through exercise and play. And always take moments in your day to relax and renew to relieve stress. Over the next four weeks, the UCP blog will be focusing on health & wellness. Share with us your favorite tips and resources on stay healthy as an individual and a family.
Here are a few links to get you started:
- Play together as a family at Preston’s Hope Playground.
- Find the nearest Metropark area and go for a walk in one of Cleveland’s best free resources!
- Join your local YMCA or Community Recreation Center as a family and take advantage of opportunities to swim indoors and participate in exercise classes during the winter.
- Adaptive Martial Arts! Try the Powers Therapeutic Martial Arts Program or Insight Learning & Wellness Center (they also have yoga!)
- Enjoy horseback riding! Hippotherapy can be found at many stables across our community, including Brecksville Stables.
- Get out and dance at inclusive places like Silhouette Dance & Fine Arts Center or Dancing Wheels School. You can also turn on your favorite tunes and have a family dance party in your family room!
The date for the 26th Annual Cleveland Triathlon is already set for August 5, 2012! The 2012 Team UCP will begin early next year with a Triathlon Kick-Off filled with training tips and plenty of inspiration. Until then, be healthy and stay motivated to move!
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