I'mpossible

Sprint Duathlon at the PDX Tri by — 5K run, 12‑mile tandem bike, and another 5K run. It was a beautiful day for racing, and the event was as well‑organized and well‑supported as ever. We were genuinely happy to return to a Why Racing event after some time away.

One thing I’ve always appreciated about Why Racing is how inclusive their events are. I noticed several other athletes with disabilities out on the course, competing right alongside everyone else. This time, we didn’t request any accommodations; we wanted to participate just like every other athlete. Usually, the organizers go above and beyond to support us and make our experience smooth, and we’re always grateful for that.

We don’t show up to prove anyone wrong — we show up to demonstrate what’s possible. We show up to give Arya the experience, the joy, and the father‑daughter moments we once thought might never happen. Watching other kids share the course with their parents reminds us that we’re no different. The time together is always magical.

I won’t lie — our eyes got wet for no real reason right after crossing the finish line today. It’s the emotion, the gratitude, and the passion that come with every finish line.

We’ve been away from home for the past two weeks, and even though Arya is non‑verbal, she always finds her own beautiful way to communicate — through gestures, expressions, and her modified signs. She kept telling us she wanted to come back home so she could ride her trike again.

We finally returned late last night, and today we made it outside for a short ride. One look at her smile and you’d know exactly how much she missed this. Pure joy.

We’ve got just two weeks until our next event, Reach the Beach - Cycling. We’ll be riding tandem, and we’ll decide our distance closer to the event based on how we’re feeling and what feels right for us.

At the end of the day, it’s about the freedom of movement — and the gift of doing something we love, together.

Congratulations .travel.mama on celebrating 20 years as the race director (and Co-owner) of the iconic mother of all relays, . This event brings together thousands of runners from across the country and continues to raise vital funds and awareness for cancer research.

We were truly humbled to see Arya included in the memory video. Thank you for always supporting the I’mPossible girl and help promote inclusion.

The first picture is from Saturday at , where Arya had an incredible finish to her run. She usually loves to just have fun out there, and this time she even found a little extra joy racing a couple of people near the finish line. And because she’s Arya, finishing wasn’t enough — she wanted to keep going. She ended up riding another 3 miles, making it a full 6‑mile morning.

But the very next day, everything shifted. She suddenly got sick, and we found ourselves in the ER. After a day and a half in the hospital, she’s finally back home and doing so much better.

We have our good days and our hard days. And it’s the hard days that remind us just how blessed we are — blessed to move, to breathe, to enjoy the moments we often take for granted. They push us to make the absolute most of the good days.

Our 23rd on a foggy Saturday morning. It’s a wonderful event run by some great volunteers. Love the community and greeting from everyone when Arya shows up. Special thanks to the volunteer who took these amazing photos. Great way to spend the Saturday morning.