Special Announcement: Team PHenomenal Hope, racing with PHA, presented by UPMC/Bayer Healthcare
We are excited to share during pulmonary hypertension awareness month that Team PHenomenal Hope, charity cycling team that raced with the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) from Oceanside, California to Annapolis, Maryland in the Race Across America 2014, will continue our race towards a cure for pulmonary hypertension in 2015.
The team is proud to have returning UPMC and Bayer Healthcare as presenting sponsors as it continues to race with PHA. Also returning are early sponsor commitments from Fiks:Reflective, and Eat ‘N Park. We also welcome support from new sponsor Fort Pitt Web Shop.
A new look and new goals in 2015… Team PHenomenal Hope (“Team PH”) will expand from a team of 4 cyclists to a larger endurance/ultra-endurance team. The team currently consists of 13 athletes from Western Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio, with ultra-cyclists, marathon and ultra-runners, ultra-swimmers, and Ironman triathletes, and will be captained by Team PH veteran Ryanne Palermo. Joining George and Palermo are returning athletes Anne-Marie Alderson, Sara Harper, and new recruits including: Tim Bachman, Amanda Budzowski, Eileen Bauer, Mike Bauer, Mike Finikiotis, Peter Kochupura, Pascale Lercangee, Cindy McVerry and Monica Reisz.
The athletes share in common their passion for endurance sports, as well as a desire to inspire people to make a difference in the lives of people living with pulmonary hypertension. We have some exciting events coming in 2015, but manager Patricia George is most excited about the growth and new direction of this team. Rather than target one huge event, the goal of 2015 will be to broaden our reach and fly Team PH colors in races throughout the year all over the map.
All over the globe… The race schedule for the team is still under development, but look for team members to race not only in ultra-cycling events, but you’ll also see Team PH athletes in marathons and Ironman triathlon events. Team PHenomenal Hope is already registered to send athletes and crew to the Race Across the West in June 2015 and looking to put jerseys in Paris-Brest-Paris in August 2015. The Race Across the West is the first 860 miles of the RAAM course, and this year Team PH will race it as a 2-woman team of Anne-Marie Alderson and Patricia George, led by crew chief Peter Kochupura. They will race from Oceanside to Durango, Colorado. In August, look to see Team PH colors abroad in Paris-Brest-Paris, a 750km ride from Paris, France to the city of Brest and back. It is the oldest ongoing organized ride in the world, with thousands of cyclists qualifying and then riding the event from around the globe. “This event only happens once every 4 years, so we look to make next year our year,” said George.
The team will start off 2015 by sending a contingent of runners to the Frozen Saskwatch, a 25km/50km trail race on January 4 in West Virginia. And in May, Team PHenomenal Hope expects to have a large presence in the Pittsburgh Marathon. In fact, we will be recruiting even more friends to join us in this annual Pittsburgh tradition.
Partnership with the Pulmonary Hypertension Association… The 2014 RAAM effort was a part of the Race of Our Lives Campaign, a movement within the PH community in which patients joined with Team PHenomenal Hope to raise awareness about PH as well as funds to find a cure. The excitement and momentum of this movement was captivating, and the goal of this effort is to continue to elevate pulmonary hypertension in endurance events to rally people in the PH community and beyond to our cause.
#PHAthlete… As Team PHenomenal Hope continues to race as a team raising awareness about pulmonary hypertension as well as supporting research and treatments to help patients through PHA, people will see us closely work with Team O2 breathe, the newly dedicated athletic arm of PHA. Team O2 breathe organized several events in 2014, including placing individual athletes in the Chicago Marathon as well as other events around the country. Team PHenomenal Hope and PHA’s Team O2 breathe, are two groups looking to inspire one another, united in using athletic challenges to win the fight against pulmonary hypertension.
This next year will be a big year for our team as we expand our depth and broaden our reach in raising awareness. We look forward to working with PHA’s Team O2 breathe and our dedicated sponsors in raising awareness about pulmonary hypertension in the USA and all over the world.
If you are interested in sponsoring or supporting Team PHenomenal Hope, please contact us at info@www.teamph.forte-press.com
If you want to race with us, stay tuned for opportunities to get involved either with Team PH in the Pittsburgh Marathon or in other events around the country through Team O2 breathe.
