Team Humanity Tri’s Again

Team Humanity Messages of Hope #10

Sunday was Team Humanity’s 3rd year at the YWCA Triathlon and it was full of beauty around every turn. Nine Team Humanity Tri’ers crossed the finish line in honor of those struggling from adverse reactions to their COVID vaccines. It was so beautiful that I am struggling to squeeze all of the feels and gratitude into one short Monday Message of Hope. (And it isn’t Monday! I changed the name to give me more recovery time after a big weekend.)

I have a number of people to thank for making the event special and possible.

Jan, from JB Hunt Studio, thank you for sending the Team Humanity Hope Box! Tri’ers and supporters were very touched by your generosity and support of those suffering. I can’t wait to meet in person someday. 

Christine, thank you for being our first injured Tri’er. You have given all of the injured hope that a better level of recovery is possible. 

Chris, thank you for stepping in for me to do the bike portion of the relay that I was not able to do thanks to a summer full of flare ups. Even though I was unable to participate, I was grateful to cross the finish line with you and Christine through the friends and family chute on my own two feet this year, no wheelchair needed! I am crying in gratitude in the picture below.

Katie, Jess, Jill, Janna, and Jodi, thank you for the months of training, getting up at the crack of dawn on Sunday and pushing your bodies through the triathlon for those of us who can’t. Your willingness to not only see and hear us, but represent us gives all of the injured in Minnesota and beyond hope for humanity.

Lindsay, thank you for turning your calling to create a Substack with our authentic stories into a reality and managing this for years before I was well enough to take over. I am forever grateful to you not just for the Substack, but for your selfless, unending giving. You have been a rock of love, understanding and hope for the injured providing connections to people and methodologies for natural, supportive healing. 

Supporters, thank you for coming out to cheer on the Tri’ers. It was a beautiful group of “humanitarians” to quote Chris’s husband, Jim. Even though I was unable to participate in the race like I had hoped, thanks to all of you, that didn’t dampen my joy on the sidelines standing in a sea of purple Team Humanity Humanitarians!

Jolene, a HUGE, GIGANTIC, heart-sized thank you for being our organizer this year. You made it beautiful, united, and meaningful for each and every participant and supporter. The signs, children in purple tulle, goodie bags including lavender you cut fresh at 4am before the race, countless emails and reorganization of the roster as racers dropped in and out, including me, over the last 8 months, and your beautiful spirit of love and purpose that shined through everything.

Lorri, I will never, ever be able to thank you enough. This whole thing happened because you had an idea three years ago to do for me what I couldn’t do for myself. The first year the two of us represented a need to acknowledge all of those who suffered adverse reactions to the COVID vaccine. Look at how much our community built on love has grown, my beautiful friend. I am in awe and gratitude of your willingness to support a group of injured strangers who you treat with the level of authentic compassion as if we are your own family. If each person did for one other person what you have done for over 60 Minnesota COVID vaccine injured, the world would be free of suffering in isolation.

MichandaShines, the MC for the race and the creator of the Tri Beginner’s Luck Podcast, thank you for being the light of acknowledgement that Team Humanity so desperately needed. You saw our shirts and not only did you want to know more, you listened, heard and acknowledged us in a way that was more powerful and emotional than you probably even realized. 

MichandaShines, you made a beautiful day even more beautiful when you said about Team Humanity, “they are here for everyone to make sure that they can get the help that they need. Especially those who have been injured from the COVID vaccine. So shout out to all of you who are overcoming and being out here today. Several of them weren’t able to walk a couple of months ago. And for them to be able to walk through this finish line is a miracle. And so we are so excited and grateful to see you. Job. Well. Done.”

As Lorri and I stood together at the finish line with our hands in the shape of hearts of gratitude to you, your public acknowledgement brought tears of exhaustion, elation, love and hope to our eyes and down our faces. You saw us and understood that adverse reactions are real and those impacted deserve to be seen, heard and helped. 

Last, but certainly not least, I want to thank YOU, readers, subscribers and my paid subscribers! I used the money from the paid subscriptions to buy 50 shirts. Please email or message me if you are a paid subscriber and you want me to send you one. I appreciate you! And if you decide to become a paid subscriber now and would like a shirt please email me. You can also help me by subscribing and sharing Team Humanity Substack with your friends and family. Thank you for your support and a special thank you again to all nine of the Team Humanity Tri’ers for spreading Hope, Healing, Humanity and Community!!!