Terry Craig is out to prove the Ultraman Canada can be finished by someone with one kidney.
The 10-kilometre swim, 420-km bike and 84-km run, starts Saturday at Skaha Lake and wraps up on Monday at Summerlandās Memorial Park. The Penticton resident is the lone local athlete among 31 taking on the challenge. As he does it, he wants to raise awareness about kidney transplants.
āUltraman Canada is the first step in terms of saying and showing people, look, you can donate a kidney but you can still do crazy, ridiculous athletic events like this,ā said Craig, an accountant for the Kemp Harvey Group, who will be competing in his sixth triathlon. āIt shouldnāt stop you from being able to do what you could previously do.ā
Craig has one kidney after giving his other to wife Laura in 2005. Things were good for five years until she was infected with a virus that began attacking her transplanted kidney.
āItās tough because she does dialysis every night, it lasts for about eight hours,ā said Craig. āItās like sheās doing her own little endurance event everyday. Sheās tired everyday. The dialysis does help to clean out her blood, so she isnāt as tired. Itās tough to see her struggle like she does.ā
The two met on Lavalife.com when he was competing in the Subaru Ironman Canada in 2003 and at that time Laura was seeing the effects of her kidney problems. She is his motivator as he strives to create awareness.
Craig said there are lots of obstacles that prevent people from donating. One is taking time off work to recover after giving a kidney. Craig said people usually need between two to six weeks away from work but canāt afford to do that. Some qualify for employment insurance benefits, which will cover 55 per cent of their wage. His office is offering to pay 40 per cent on top. He also has a website promoting awareness at www.bethekidney.com.
Craig would like to see more people become living organ donors.
āIf people above her (Laura) get an organ from a friend or family member then she wonāt be on the wait list as long,ā he said.
According to www.transplant.bc.ca, there are more than 300 people on that list.
Craig describes Laura as āan amazing mother and amazing wife.ā
āIām so impressed with how she is able to push herself through every day,ā said Craig, who is inspired by Lauraās smile. āShe doesnāt feel sorry for herself. Her kids (Haley and Trevor) are her life. She does whatever she can for her kids. I always look up to her as an example of how I want to lead my own life.ā
As Craig strives for the finish line, Laura will always be with him and not just on his crew.
āIāve got a picture of her on my bike,ā said Craig, who will also have the help of Haley and Trevor. āTo put all that effort in to be there with me while Iām out on the bike course or the run course itās such an inspiration to me.ā
Craig canāt believe the race is almost here.
āI think Iām ready as I can be,ā said Craig, whose kitchen table is covered with Gatorade bottles, power gels and other foods. āItās a lot different than training for Ironman where itās all about speed. This is all about endurance. Making sure you can maintain a certain level. Physically, I feel like Iām almost at where I need to be.ā
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