Kona Rocks 89,707 and Shares the Power of Bicycles!
Professional triathletes Jordan Rapp and Michellie Jones celebrate 89,707 bicycles in the field.
On October 8th, World Bicycle Relief joined thousands of triathletes in Kona for The 2011 Ironman World Championship, one of the world's most prestigious sporting events. Professional triathletes Jordan Rapp and Michellie Jones joined World Bicycle Relief at the event to celebrate 89,707 bicycles in the field. The event provided the opportunity to invite participants from around the world to be a part of the growing movement of athletes raising awareness and funds for WBR.
For just $134.00, a fraction of the cost of most bikes at Ironman, a culturally-appropriate, locally assembled bicycle can be delivered to a student fighting for her education or a business owner attempting to get goods to a market in rural Africa. "There are numerous facts and figures about how much more a farmer can carry, how much farther an aid worker can travel, or how much faster a student can get to school. But ultimately, all that data shows the same thing - $134 can change someone's world forever." - Jordan Rapp
Throughout the week World Bicycle Relief staff passed out t-shirts and tattoos with the number 89,707 to emphasize the celebration, while accepting entries in a Cervelo P3 drawing (winner announced soon!) and invited expo attendees to participate in a bicycle treasure hunt through the support of Cervelo, Newton Running, Zipp, SRAM, Quarq, Nuun, Road ID and FuelBet. A supporter prepares to take the World Bicycle Relief bike on a treasure hunt.
The event culminated with a World Bicycle Relief Q&A and signing with Michellie Jones and Jordan Rapp on the expo center stage. The professional athletes answered questions including, "What drew you to WBR?" and "Why would you recommend the cause to other athletes?" Rapp also announced his upcoming 3rd Annual Rappstar Charity Challenge for WBR (details soon) at the event.
Kona participants proudly showcase their 89,707 tees and tattoos.
For World Bicycle Relief, the highlight of Ironman 2011 came on race day as world-class athletes pushed themselves to the limits sporting WBR wristbands and tattoo's - sharing the power of bicycles. As WBR Grassroots Development Director Katie Bolling notes, "These athletes not only finished the day with an outstanding performance but they are a part of something so much bigger. They use their sport and their passion to bring life-changing transportation to a girl student fighting for education, or an entrepreneur building his business in rural Africa. It just doesn't get much better than that." For more information on how to turn your Ironman into a fundraiser for World Bicycle Relief, please contact Katie Bolling at kbolling@worldbicyclerelief.org
