In 2022, more than 14,500 Indiana students experienced homelessness.

KIK-IT focuses on youth and young adults between the ages of 16 and 25 years old. They provide resources such as food, hygiene and access to resources to teach these young men and women how to be independent and survive by themselves.

What you may not know about me, was that we were homeless for a good period of my childhood.  While I at least had the comfort of my mother, we (mom, myself and three siblings) bounced around from relatives and a hotel.  My mom, being a single parent and working a low paying job, couldn’t afford to keep food in the house.  I’ve myself been days without a full meal.  I’ve told my wife of the memory of having in the house only bread, mayonnaise and bacon bits to survive on.  Cuddling in the tub of the bathroom with coats on and blankets covering us to stay warm in the winter as we were without power often.

These young people are going through the same and even worse conditions.  Often times, it takes one (or consistent) acts of support that can change the trajectory of someone’s life.

This organization provides that opportunity, for the person to break the chains of their past and look to a brighter future.

So I want to raise money for them.  So I’ll run this race, which I only have a goal of finishing, in hopes that not only I can get something from it but it can benefit others as well.

For me, my I’ve been up and down with weight, having lost 134lbs when my wife was pregnant with my first child, Jovie.  I gained it all back, as most people do when losing over 100lbs.  

My weight issues, I’m sure a physiologist would say, circle back to my childhood.  I developed the habit of eating everything not knowing when I’d have another meal.  That carried into adulthood.  At one point, my wife pointed out early in our marriage that we had 10 boxes of cereal.  We looked at them, confirming that I had left enough in each box for a half bowl of cereal.  Something within me wouldn’t finish the box or throw it away. It was a way for me to ensure I had my next meal.

Fast forward almost a few decades and I’m financially better than I was, being able to afford food in my pantry.  But old habits don’t die off very easy.

I regained all the weight I had lost and put on some more, weighing in at 338 lbs at my top.

A renewed feeling of needing to fix myself happened in February.  I’d had a health scare, looked in the mirror and saw really how big I’d become.

I had to change this.  I joined CrossFit (CGX) in Bargersville, where I was greeted and felt at home.  I could barely put together 10 jump ropes.  A burpee was doable but at turtle speed. My heart rate was often racing due to my terrible health.  I was encouraged by my wife/#1 fan Heather, my friends and the CrossFit Community.  I lost 40lbs in 5 months at the gym, getting my health back as a priority.  

Then I saw an ad for a marathon and I couldn’t get it off my mind.  I knew that this was something I needed to do.  

So without much running history (I’ve done 2 5k’s 10 years ago when I lost my weight), being morbidly obese and not knowing anything about running… I decided I’d start training for a half marathon in 10 weeks.

I’m still on my journey of restoring my health, as I’m running now at 290lbs.  But that’ll come off through proper nutrition and consistency with exercising.  Running 20+ miles a week I figure will also help ;)

So if you made it this far, I thank you.  Please consider a donation in support of our youth and those that have nothing, who are looking for any sign of hope.    I can recall the church food banks we would go to, the money we’d borrow and May/may not pay back.  The pity (and compassion) my landlord would have on us when I’d knock on the door saying we couldn’t make our rent payment this month. 

These kids have gone through the same. Your act in donating can really change the trajectory of a life.  I’m thankful for the church who filled our small pantry, the family who let us borrow money and live with them, the Angel tree delivering Christmas gifts, the landlord who let us miss rent…it is such a big deal

I’m not a writer, I’m sure I went back and forth on my story and why to donate.  Thanks for reading.  

I have to go run now, I’ve not got that much time!

God bless!