"Be the change you want to see in the world." ~Mahatma Gandhi

Can you imagine the impact it would have on our world if everyone put those timeless, poignant words into play? If we each channeled our energy and love and passion into being part of the solution rather than being part of the problem?

Good for Your Body. Good for Our World. Those words, along with Ghandi's above, encapsulate the essence of this new campaign.

I am underway on a quest to break the 9-hour barrier in arguably the world's toughest one-day sporting test -- the Hawaii Ironman World Championships -- in order to raise $1 million for what I consider to be the world's finest humanitarian organization: CARE.

I am doing this to learn my limits and move past them, where the real power lies. But the crux of this campaign is not about me at all.

This is about you...and them.

I am doing this to inspire you to live your best life (by taking on your own fitness/fundraising challenge) -- and to eradicate poverty by empowering marginalized women and girls through CARE. I have always believed that training for an event on behalf of a charity dear to your heart will inspire you to live your best life -- as you help others live theirs.

That said, life is short. Mark Twain once said: “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

I urge you to pick a cause that makes your blood boil and your heart ache -- and train for an event to benefit that cause. It will infuse each workout you do with purpose and passion. And, it's easy! Just set up a free fundraising page here at Firstgiving, pick your event -- and go for it. It will be good for your body – and good for our world.

WHY CARE?

Beyond father and husband, my role as a CARE Ambassador is the proudest and most rewarding position I've held.

Last year, CARE programs improved the lives of more than 55 million people in 66 countries. They allocate an industry-leading 90% of all funds to people on the ground, so every dollar makes a difference. CARE not only feeds the hungry, and does emergency relief work, they help tackle underlying causes of poverty so that people can become self-sufficient. Recognizing that women and children suffer disproportionately from poverty, CARE places special emphasis on working with women to create permanent social change.

WHY IRONMAN?

HH, the Dalai Lama once said: "Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to achieve it." If that's true, then the Ironman can bring huge success. To do it well demands otherworldly sacrifice.

Truth be told, I have an uneasy relationship with Ironman. I have excelled at other distances in the sport (from sprint to half Ironman), winning several events around the world. But, I have done two Ironman events, and both left me feeling like a dehydrated cheese log. :-)

In spite of that, I chose Ironman for a broader reason: because it is the most compelling way I know to honor the millions of marginalized women and girls who have no voice, who face impossible odds each day, who live on less than $1 a day, who suffer grave human rights violations -- and who somehow find a way to persevere with courage, dignity and grace few of us can fathom. 

I plan to race this event and break the 9-hour barrier -- a feat only 27 people in the world achieved last year. At that hallowed finish line on Alii Drive in Hawaii --  in the warm embrace of my wife, daughter, some close friends, CARE staff and some children and their mothers from third-world countries -- I will present a check for $1,000,000 -- and not a penny less -- to CARE.

My motivation comes from the plight of girls like this. After seeing this video, and spending time with girls like her in Africa, my "want" to raise $1 million for CARE has been forged into a "need." I need to do this to help CARE end injustices like this. I hold this girl in my heart. And, I will not back down from any training session -- or the event itself -- until I cross the line under 9 hours and raise the million dollars for CARE. I deeply respect the Big Island of Hawaii, and the forces at work there, but I don't care what kind of conditions are served up on race day. Nine hours.

It will require a well-executed day -- and a well-executed plan. For that, I am seeking the advice of none other than two-time Ironman World Champion Tim Deboom, who I consider to be one of the finest athletes this sport has ever seen (he won Ironman by the largest margin in the last 20 years) -- and one of finest people the sport has ever seen. He's always been someone I admire personally and professionally. Tim is soft-spoken, but he trains and races like his last name.

HOW TO TAKE PART 

I am asking for your support.

With over 90% of all resources going directly to CARE programs, your donation will have the maximum impact where it is needed most. Every dollar is expertly-allocated, so no donation is too small.

It is seamless and secure to make a tax-deductible donation. Click the "SPONSOR US NOW" box below or, if you prefer, send a check directly to "CARE" and include "CARE/Ironman" in the memo field: 

CARE USA
151 Ellis Street, NE
Atlanta, GA 30303

Thank you for making a difference.

~Eric

P.S. I invite you to visit my Twitter page, blog, YouTube Channel and Tumblr page for regular updates. Thank you again.