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(7-28-06) - Submitted by friend and fellow triathlete Pete Cadwell - Dirk Vlieks is an accomplished triathlete, as well as a great friend and training partner of mine out here in California. On June 3, 2006, he was racing at the Honu Half Ironman in Kona, HI when he suffered a brain aneurysm during the bike leg of the race. He became unconscious and was subsequently taken to the med tent, then flown to Hilo and onto Honolulu where he was in the neuro-intensive care unit for about five weeks. After many improvements and degradations of his condition, he has finally returned to a rehab center in Marin County (close to his home) and is undergoing extensive rehabilitation for the AVM, the aneurysm, and the strokes that he suffered since the initial incident...
Dirk's wife Kelsey and their families need as much assistance as possible during this difficult time. The local support from fellow athletes, friends, and family has been incredible with people volunteering to cook meals, go grocery shopping, help with homecare, hospital visits, emotional support, etc. Since this type of support is difficult from such a far distance, I am hoping that fellow triathletes can help out by making contributions to offset the exorbitant cost associated with this tragedy. Healthcare and rehab costs above insurance benefits and lost wages are the two main problems facing Dirk's family, so contributions of any amount, $10 to $10,000+, will be greatly appreciated!
We have set up a website at www.dirkandkelsey.com that has information about the incident, letters from friends and family, photos, and most importantly - how to contribute to the Dirk Vlieks Get Well Fund. PayPal and Active.com are simple ways to contribute, but please take the time to read a bit more about the situation and view photos of Dirk and his family and friends. Please contact me if you have any questions. Thank you in advance for any of your generous contributions!
Pete Cadwell
(7-26-06) From Press Release - Record attendance for PIR Bicycle Race Series Attracting novice racers along with experienced racers all summer long
The season keeps breaking records Portland International Raceway. Crowds of racers, enthusiasts and spectators have been coming to Monday evenings for the Lakeside Bicycles Women and Masters Series. "Over the past 10 years the attendance has been strong, and growing each year. This year we have seen a huge increase in riders wanting to se what bike racing is all about," said Jim Anderson, series organizer.
Each night we get a range of new racers to the very experienced. This season's participation has been record breaking. The average for turnout for May was 150 per night and for June was 130 per night. That is up approximately 30 riders than in 2005. The novice categories (Women and 30+) attract a great range of enthusiastic riders. This is an area that we see a tremendous amount of growth and excitement. Most just want to try out bicycle racing or are coming from another competitive sport like running.
"You can feel the excitement when talking with the novice racers. They are eager and wanting to learn," Anderson says, "this race series is a great place to start."
One of the series goals is to provide an easy and accessible way to get into the sport. The series is inexpensive and only requires little paper work to be part of the action. The other is accessibility to the racing. The racetrack is close to Portland. Many racers use MAX or ride out to get a warm up in, beating traffic and helping the environment. Racers who avoid traffic on I-5 by bike commuting, carpooling or taking MAX to PIR receive $1 off entry and race organizers will donate $1 to the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, the local non-profit organization working to making Oregon one of the best places in the world to ride a bike.
The course is the flat and wide 1.9-mile loop of Portland International Raceway (I-5 Exit #306B). Featuring excellent quality pavement for cycling, the raceway circuit is closed to all car traffic for the Monday night bike races. Race distances vary each week according to daylight, number of racers and weather. Racing starts at 6:15pm. Entry fee is only $12 for women and masters men, $5 for women under 18.
Top racers win gift certificates (from Lakeside Bicycles) nightly and for the monthly series, but the emphasis is on learning, improving and getting a great workout in the fun, sociable and exciting sport of bike racing.
Racing starts at 6:15pm on Monday nights May 1-August 28.
More information at: www.racemondaynight.com
