Where There’s a Tom, There’s a Way
Imagine swimming 2.4 miles in the open ocean, then biking in a 112-mile race, and finishing with a full 26.2 marathon. Then imagine doing this after brain tumor surgery.
(PRWEB) October 13, 2005 -- Imagine swimming 2.4 miles in the open ocean, then biking in a 112-mile race, and finishing with a full 26.2 marathon. Then imagine doing this after brain tumor surgery. This is exactly what Tom Tucker is doing!
Just one month before the 2004 New Zealand Ironman, Tom was told he had a brain tumor. The challenge of competing then became more mental than physical, but after crossing the finish line Tom was ready for his next challenge – surgery. “Since then Tom has had a new perspective on life and not only has he met this challenge, he has embraced it with his optimism, his problem-solving abilities and his ‘glass half-full’ approach” says Kim, his wife and training partner.
More determined than ever after his surgery, Tom decided he wanted to go all the way and compete in the World Championship Ironman in Hawaii on October 15th.
At age 32, this native Canadian is not only a Princeton scholar, triathlete, and successful private equity investor, he is a man of vision. Tom is what Ironman is all about; he typifies the very essence of the sport. He is not someone you forget, he is an amazing man!
Typically, in the week leading up to Ironman, his training schedule includes swimming 6 miles (10 km) in the pool, cycling for 220-250 miles (350-400 km), and running between 38-44 miles (60-70 km). The training is heart rate based and there is some wattage training on the bike. He has to challenge his body by swimming faster than race pace, cycling hill repeats, and running intervals on the track.
With this quantity of training he must be careful of the amount of sleep he gets. If he cuts the sleep short, he’ll get sick. Also with this intensity of training, he has to eat an enormous amount, probably 6 meals a day. For the longer workouts, he also eats during the workouts (e.g., a four hour bike ride would have him eating 4 sandwiches and drinking 4 liters of liquid). Following the longer workouts he has to have some recovery foods immediately (e.g., protein to help muscles’ recovery and additional food to get ready for the next workouts).
Now as if this wasn’t enough, Tom made the decision to turn his personal battle with brain cancer into a journey to make a global impact on the lives of others around the world fighting this disease. He started the fundraising project called T4T Racing for Research and raised $150,000+ during his Australian and Canadian Triathlons. Now Tom has joined the American Brain Tumor Association to help him raise money for this cause with the World Championship Ironman.
Over 190,000 individuals will be diagnosed with a brain tumor in the United States this year. There are more than 120 different types of brain tumors and the cause is unknown. Tom and the American Brain Tumor Association share their vision of eliminating brain tumors through research.
Ideally, Tom would love to assist funding research in order to find a cure for brain tumors. “Being realistic, I think it will be unlikely that this cure will necessarily occur in my lifetime; however the glass is half-full. I hope my fundraising efforts will help children, teenagers, adults and the elderly win their brain tumor challenge,” says Tom.
Tom is available for interviews, please contact:
Peggy Kasprzak
Communications Coordinator
American Brain Tumor Association
2720 River Rd.
Des Plaines, IL 60018
847-827-9910 ext. 16
fax: 847-827-9918
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