What WE are Doing
On June 8th, a group of young men: Seth Martin, Phil Thornton, Charlie Wetzel, Jared Dejager, Travis Choy, Jacob Oliver, & Dominic Chaidez will embark on completing their first Ironman 70.3 together. For many of us, this will be our first triathlon ever. It will consist of swimming 1.2 miles, biking 56 miles, & running 13.1 miles. We do not want our work to be merely self-rewarding, we want our work to be for a cause greater than ourselves. This is why we started the Ironmen Fundraiser.
So here’s how it works:
Each racer has chosen a charity organization they would like to represent during this race. Each racer will be responsible to market for themselves and their organization.
Supporters will be able to select an organization of their choosing below and input a one time donation amount. The $ amount inputed in the submission form will be what is requested after completion of the race. Supporters will be provided a direct donation link to the organization of their choosing following race day. We will request a screenshot of the donation receipt after completing payment.
Furthermore, there will be a “Winners Pool” option when selecting an organization. This means that any money pledged to the “Winners Pool” will be distributed to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place finishers organizations of choice. Each racer will be allocating a $100 pledge to the winners pool to start off the pot. This is just a fun way to fuel the competition for the racers and have their hard work rewarded with a greater donation to their charity.
Seth MARTIN
Hi, my name is Seth. I am 24 yrs old and was born and raised in Bakersfield CA. I have chosen to partner with Bakersfield Angels, a local group from my hometown whose mission is to walk alongside children, youth, and families in the foster care community by offering consistent support through intentional giving, relationship building, and mentorship.
I was extremely blessed to be raised by two amazing parents. Now, my hope is to help share some of those great family values with future generations of foster kids. With a keen focus on Intentional Giving, Relationship Building, & Mentorship, Bakersfield Angels helps kids experiencing foster care reach their fullest potential and makes sure that any family that fosters a child is fully supported.
Please help us support these amazing kids and their families, thank you 🙂
Phil thornton
Hey everyone! My name is Phil and I will be swimming, biking, and running to support Casting for Recovery! I have long been a fan of their work and have been amazed by the positive effects that they have had on the women that have been to their programs, but this is not about me, It’s about them.
Casting for Recovery provides healing outdoor retreats for women with breast cancer at no cost to the participants. The organization gives women battling breast cancer a chance to escape and connect with the outdoors and the wonderful volunteers who teach them how to fly fish. Many studies show the benefit of connecting to nature, getting light exercise, and enjoying the fresh air on physical and mental health, and those fighting cancer are no different. In fact, it is likely even more powerful. It’s no wonder Casting for Recovery has such a powerful impact on its participants. They run 60 retreats across the country that serve over 800 women a year. Check them out and support C4R by donating to this run, directly to them, or volunteering at one of their many retreats!
Charlie Wetzel
Hello everyone! My name is Charlie and I’ll be swimming, biking, and running on June 8th in Boulder, CO to support PositiviTEE! My dear friend Oliver Jack founded PositiviTEE last year after surviving a near-fatal accident that left him in a month-long coma with a brain hemorrhage and cerebral edema. Despite the challenges, Oliver has prevailed and turned his experience into a mission to empower children and young adults by nurturing a culture that fosters kindness and positive thinking.
PositiviTEE’s mission is to empower historically underserved youth and young adults through the transformative power of mentorship and positive thinking. PositiviTEE aims to host golf tournaments in collaboration with key philanthropy partners to raise funds and awareness for addressing significant societal issues. Selected partners will be those whose missions address many of the challenges facing the underserved such as food insecurity, poverty, violence, dysfunction, addiction, and traumatic injury.
DominiCk Chaidez
Hey, I’m Dominick Chaidez! I was born and raised in Bakersfield, California, and currently reside in Fort Collins, Colorado. I’m on track to graduate from Colorado State University in December of this year. In this race, I proudly represent CSU, even though my buddies, who are joining me, all attended CU Boulder (we all have our faults).
I love challenging myself and making the most of my God-given days. I’m very thankful for my health and the opportunity to do something like this with close friends. Through this race, I want to support the Boys and Girls Club of Kern County. The organization aims to help young people reach their full potential, and I hope to support those who are less fortunate and provide more opportunities for others to make a difference in the future. Making an impact in my local community means a great deal to me. It’s important for me to contribute to and uplift the place I call home, striving to create a positive difference and a brighter future for everyone.
Jared De Jager
Jared De Jager, 24 years old from Bakersfield California, currently attending University of Colorado Boulder for ecology & evolutionary biology. Have always been passionate about animals and fitness and couldn’t be more excited for this upcoming iron man to show myself what I’m capable of. I’ve had the pleasure of working closely with the Bakersfield Angels in the past and love what they are doing and how they go about doing it, very happy to be representing them for this race.
Travis Choy
Hi! I’m Travis and I will be competing in my first triathlon to support K9s for Warriors! I’ve always believed in their process for helping save and restore our veterans after they’ve returned home, using the power of companionship from provided service dogs.
Too many of our veterans dedicate their lives to protecting us and preserving our freedom, only to return home to fight for their lives every day battling PTSD and other related traumas. Roughly 20 veterans commit suicide every day, but K9s for Warriors is dedicated to lowering that number to zero. This organization does so by guiding veterans through the K9s for Warriors program and pairs them with a trained service dog that provides them with both support and companionship. Studies have shown that military veterans with a PTSD service dog reported lower anxiety, depression, and PTSD symptoms. Additionally, the majority of the dogs themselves are rescued from shelters, giving them new purpose as well. K9s for Warriors allow our veterans to take the first step in regaining their lives with dignity and independence. Help me support K9s for Warriors and allow our nation’s heroes to get the peace, support, and companionship they deserve after everything they’ve done for us. “They fought for our freedom. We fight for theirs.”
JACOB OLIVER
Hello there, my name is Jacob Oliver. I am 24 years old and was born and raised in Bakersfield California. I am currently attending Cal State Bakersfield where I am studying Finance. I am embarking on a journey of running an Ironman 70.3 with some great friends and brothers by my side. One of our joint projects was to run the race in honor of a charity, and that is why myself and 2 other friends are partnering with Bakersfield Angels. The Bakersfield Angels mission is to walk alongside children, youth, and families in the foster care community by offering consistent support through intentional giving, relationship building, and mentorship. I love everything they are doing for the community and ask for some help in supporting them. It’s all for the love of the kids!
Charity ORganizations & Websites
Bakersfield Angels – https://www.bakersfieldangels.org/mission.html
Casting for Recovery – https://castingforrecovery.org/about-our-retreats/
PositiviTEE – https://www.positivi-tee.org/about
Boys and Girls Club of Kern County – https://www.bgckc.org/club-impact
K9s for Warriors – https://k9sforwarriors.org/warrior-journey/