Augusta, GA (PRWEB) October 27, 2014
Amy Morosini, a 45-year-old Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) survivor from Moraga, CA, placed 3rd in the Female Physically Challenged Division at the IRONMAN 70.3 Augusta triathlon. Morosini completed the 2014 Intermedix IRONMAN 70.3 in Augusta, Ga., in a time of 8:48.
“My goal is always to just cross the finish line,” Morosini said. “No matter how long it takes me, I just want to complete what I set out to do. I want to prove to myself that my disability doesn’t control me; I control my disability. Hopefully, my achievement will inspire others with Traumatic Brain Injuries to pursue dreams they thought were impossible. We can still live happy lives and challenge ourselves to achieve things beyond our comprehension.”
Morosini, a Rutgers University graduate who lives in Moraga, CA, suffered a severe TBI in 1997 after falling out of a third story window in an apartment building in San Francisco. She spent almost 2 months in three different hospitals undergoing numerous surgeries, and then the better part of the next year in rehabilitation. Doctors initially told Morosini that she would never walk again without assistance.
An IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon, also known as a half IRONMAN, consists of a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike ride and ends with a 13.1-mile run. Inspiring Morosini to do a triathlon was Scott Rigsby, who runs a foundation that supports individuals with physical challenges to “Do the Unthinkable” in their own lives. Rigsby lost both of his legs in an accident when he was 18. He set a world record at the IRONMAN World Championship, becoming the first double below-the-knee amputee using prosthetics to finish the event. “Here is someone who not only has a TBI, but he is missing both of his legs, and he finishes the Hawaiian IRONMAN World Championships. Scott made me believe I could do it,” Morosini said.
A year ago, Morosini joined the Scott Rigsby Foundation’s triathlon team, Operation IRONFREEDOM, and with coaching help from Rigsby, she trained for eight months. “Learning how to ride a bicycle with my disability was my biggest challenge. I knew if I could get through the bike portion of the triathlon, I could complete it,” said Morosini. As a physically challenged athlete, Morosini has completed four marathons, eight half-marathons and two IRONMAN 70.3 Triathlons.
Morosini now volunteers as a fitness instructor for the Veterans Administration in Martinez, CA. “Our servicemen and women are returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with TBIs and they wonder how they are going to live the rest of their lives like this. I’ve been there, and I want to show them that if I can make it, so can they,” said Morosini.
As part of IRONMAN Foundation’s “Your Journey, Your Cause” program, IRONMAN® formed an exclusive partnership with The Scott Rigsby Foundation. Called “Operation IRONFREEDOM,” athletes can fundraise for the Scott Rigsby Foundation, which enables injured warriors to compete in the event, as well as support warriors and their families as they transition home from service in Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF).
Contact:
Amy Morosini
510-219-6346
Scott Johnson
Executive Director of The Scott Rigsby Foundation
770-634-9004.
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