Triathlon has been rooted deep in Erik's heart ever since his Dad had a major stroke at the finish line of a race in 2015. Erik decided he would take on the sport in honor of his Dad, so he began training to complete the same race as his Dad exactly one year later - all while raising money for the National Stroke Association to help victims of stroke-like his father. Erik went on to complete 5 more races in the following years with his Dad in mind.
But, 4 years later, When Erik tragically lost his own leg, and almost his life, in a bizarre pedestrian-car crash in 2019 - he was unsure if he would be able to swim, bike, or run ever again. Instead of giving up, Erik decided he would use the sport that was so familiar in his heart as a source of hope and motivation throughout his own recovery process - to one day hopefully be able to cross another finish line of a triathlon.
Just 8 months after his leg amputation, he crossed that finish line once again.
But his journey didn't stop there. The "Impossible," turned into "what's possible." With determination, Erik quickly became stronger and faster than he ever was on two legs, with just one.
In the 4 years since he lost his leg, Erik has run over 1,700 miles, Biked over 10,000 miles, and swam half a million yards.
Now, Erik has his sights set on crossing the biggest finish line of them all - The paralympic Triathlon at the 2024 Paris Olympics Games.
In order to get to Paris, he needs to move up quickly in the world rankings. Erik is currently ranked 20th in the world, and the top 10 athletes usually get selected to go.
Erik will be traveling to Europe this summer to race back-to-back world cup races in France and Spain in order to gain qualification points and move up to the top 10.
But he can't do it alone, he needs your help!
Currently - aside from training 15 hours per week, Erik works a full-time job 30-40 hours per week to support his passion. He has been working full-time since the year of his injury, after being under-compensated and losing not only his leg but also his legal restitution battle in court. But even then he refuses to give up on his dream.
Triathlon is one of the most expensive sports to participate in because it is a combination of 3 sports with specific equipment for each discipline. He pays out of pocket for all of his own equipment, coaching fees, travel fees, and medical fees. For now, he is completely self-supported until he can achieve sponsorships at the national level by winning more races.
Please consider donating to support Erik's dream of making it to the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
If you are a business owner and would like to sponsor Erik's dream he has agreed to offer the following incentives.
For a $500 donation, Erik will shout out and promote your company on his social media pages and take pictures and videos with your branded products at his races, if requested.
For a $750 donation, Erik will do all of the above, as well as brand his race gear with your company logo/image, if requested.
For a $1000 donation, Erik will do all of the above, as well as offer to speak virtually or in person to your organization about his journey and the 'never give up attitude' he's harnessed to achieve a winning mindset.
Thank you for your support! See you at the Finish Line!
