Arizona 51 year old man to bike, swim, and run over 422 miles in 3 days!!!
PUSHING THE LIMITS: ARIZONA MAN’S QUEST TO REACH YOUNG PEOPLE WITH THE MESSAGE OF FAITH THROUGH ENDURANCE
Tubac Real Estate Executive and FCA Devotee Gary Brasher to Swim, Bike and Run 422 Miles in November Triple Iron Event
(Phoenix, Ariz.) – Gary Brasher, a 51-year-old real estate executive from Tubac, will compete in three consecutive Ironman triathlon events in Tempe November 20-22 with the purpose of raising funds and awareness for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) and promoting positive role models for today’s youth.
“As I look at our walk through life, it’s about faith and endurance,” Brasher said. “Staying at something. Getting up on those days when you don’t want to get up. Doing things you sometimes don’t want to do, but you know they are the right things to do. It would be great to see the focus and the message for youth be one of faith through endurance.”
Along with providing a positive role model for young people, Brasher’s goal in completing the grueling three-day test of endurance is to raise money for youth camps sponsored by the FCA. FCA sponsors more than 300 camps each summer with almost 50,000 youth, young adults and coaches attending those camps both in the United States and internationally.
“I came to know the Lord through FCA and that’s why it has a special place in my heart,” Brasher said. “I don’t think there is a more effective vehicle to reach young people for Jesus Christ in America today than FCA.”
Brasher has first-hand knowledge of the importance of the camp experience for so many young people throughout the country. As an interim camp director in the 1980s, Brasher was struggling to find a speaker for an FCA football camp in Arizona.
“It was 30 days out and I had no one,” Brasher said. “I was really scrambling. I was beginning to think that maybe this was one of those years where we don’t have a camp.”
Shortly thereafter, Brasher received a phone call from a man who volunteered to speak at the camp. The man turned out to be legendary Dallas Cowboys football coach Tom Landry. Camp registrations soared to 300 participants and the impact of Landry’s gesture has never left Brasher.
“It didn’t have anything to do with me. A man of character, integrity and faith let his name be used to promote the camp and attract young people to it,” Brasher said. “That typified for me what FCA does every day at some level all across the United States.”
Brasher will complete the first two days of the event by himself – November 20-21 – and will compete during the third day as part of the Arizona Ironman competition November 22 in Tempe. The feat he hopes to accomplish is rare within the United States, where only one triple triathlon event is scheduled to be held this year in Virginia in October.
“Gary is a man of God on a mission to provide young people with the kind of role models who seem to be disappearing from sports today,” said Les Steckel, FCA President and veteran NFL coach. “He is truly inspiring in his quest to complete this incredible feat.”
Brasher’s story, training and fundraising efforts can be tracked on his event Web site at www.tripleiron422.com.
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About FCA
The Fellowship of Christian Athletes is touching millions of lives… one heart at a time. Since 1954, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes has been challenging coaches and athletes on the professional, college, high school, junior high and youth levels to use the powerful medium of athletics to impact the world for Jesus Christ. FCA is the largest Christian sports organization in the world. FCA focuses on serving local communities by equipping, empowering and encouraging people to make a difference for Christ.
Contact: Angie May, Arizona FCA – 623.523.4455 – amay@fca.org
