My friend, Dex Tai will be racing in three consecutive Ironman triathlons in 15 days as part of his Race For Autism mission. Dex and I last raced the 226K multi-disciplinary race in 2010 in Austria, and will reunite on 15 July in Zurich, Switzerland for my 13th IM race, and his ‘three-peat’.
Doing an Ironman triathlon is a personal challenge. As much as people believe that we are backed by corporate sponsors, most of the time we travel completely on our own expenses. If you are fortunate to be recognized by sponsors, you may race with some attire or nutritional support. Otherwise, it is a private enterprise driven by willpower, choice, determination and strength of purpose.
In Dex’s case, he is driven by a shared purpose with his wife who has a deep affection for working with autistic children. He has expanded his support for the mutual cause by expanding on his capability to attempt a physical challenge of mind-shifting proportions. Having raced with Dex in IM Austria in 2010, I know that he has the ability to race two Ironmans within one week. He scored a 3:45 marathon on his second consecutive attempt. Our interviewees Wayne Kurtz and Kua Harn Wei have shown that 20 or 10 back-to-back, daily, Ironman distances are possible. It takes a clear plan, intense focus, and dedicated preparation to achieve the impossible. The impossible just takes longer!
Upon notification of Dex’s personal quest to raise S$10,000 for his charity of choice, I applied viral marketing to my community; I sneezed it on two occasions within a week. As an educator, I recognise the massive challenges involved with working with autistic people; they have brilliant brains that just work differently from us. I hope that he hits his target soon, which is not impossible knowing that Dex depth of character.
Help me, to help Dex, to help his cause. Meanwhile, be more aware, educate others, and spread the word of our human condition. Will you help a stranger? Will you interact with somebody and communicate with them?
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