Plainfield Park District Division Manager of Parks Mike Brouillard’s definition of a New Year’s resolution is vastly different from most.
When Brouillard was researching a resolution for 2016, he discovered World Vision, a non-profit whose mission he wanted to help, one that would also force him to push himself to his physical limits
On September 8, Brouillard, will participate in his fourth Ironman triathlon in Madison, Wisconsin to raise money for the non-profit which brings clean, fresh water sources to communities in Africa.
Every $50 raised is enough to cover the cost of providing fresh water to 1 person for life, said Brouillard.
To compete in the full Ironman race in Madison, Mike will trek for 140.6 miles which includes a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike portion, and a 26.2-mile marathon.
Mike, who turned 50 in 2016, had never competed in a triathlon before. It required him to learn to swim competitively, and he even had to recruit his dad to help him learn to ride a bike again—this time a bike specifically designed for triathlons.
“Learning how to ride a tri-bike gave me and my Dad a good laugh,” he said, “I was 5 years old when he first showed me how to ride a regular bike at his house.”
He’s had some setbacks. During the first year of training, he broke his foot, and then didn’t meet the time requirement during the bike portion of the race. Each year he said the training gets harder but he still keeps coming back, moved to reach his goal of raising enough money to help 2,000 people.
“And I will keep going until we meet that goal, even if it takes me 20 years,” he said.
To read more about Mike and help him reach his goal visit his Team World Vision page.
