Crossing For Cystic Fibrosis

Want to join me in making a difference? I am stand-up paddleboarding 80 miles from Bimini, Bahamas to Florida to raise money for Piper's Angels Foundation Inc. The purpose of this foundation is to treat and raise awareness for Cystic Fibrosis, a life-threatening disease. Thank you in advance for your donation, any amount will make a difference.

The inspiration for my participation in this event, and my stand-up paddleboard journey begins with a rugby injury. For most of my life, rugby has been my #1 athletic commitment. For over ten years, I would go to practice for roughly 4-5 hours a week, before playing an intense game on Saturday. But after suffering a painful shoulder dislocation during a match in January of 2022, I needed to find another means of staying fit while waiting for my shoulder to recover. Living on the west coast of Florida, where the waters are mirror smooth in the early hours of the day, I naturally gravitated towards stand-up paddleboarding, a sport which works wonders for balance and endurance, as well as lower body and core strength.

It worked particularly well as physical therapy for my shoulder, putting me ahead of schedule for recovery, but before long it became more to me than a simple means to get back in shape for rugby. Every morning, when I set out on the water for a quick workout, I would see a seemingly unreachable building or a pier in the distance. But after continuously testing my mettle every morning, I became closer and closer to reaching that unattainable goal. When I finally reached that pier or other landmark a few weeks later, I found another pier a few miles away, and became dedicated to reaching that one. Eventually, I was charting all kinds of stand-up paddleboard routes across the local area, culminating in a day-long endurance paddle from John's Pass in St. Petersburg to the Dunedin Causeway 20 miles north.

After finally achieving my goal of paddleboarding 20 miles, I only set my sights further. That's when I discovered the Crossing for Cystic Fibrosis. All participants raise a minimum of 2,000 dollars to go directly to the Piper’s Angels foundation, which is committed to Cystic Fibrosis treatment and research.

Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic disease which begins with the malfunction of the CFTR protein, eventually leading to the mucus becoming thicker and stickier than usual. It is often life threatening, since the mucus may block lungs and airways, as well as the pancreas, which is essential for digesting important nutrients. Patients with Cystic Fibrosis are often more susceptible to illness, lung infections, coughing and shortness of breath, and malnutrition in spite of a complete diet, meaning they may never grow to their full size. While those who get the right treatment stand a good chance of living a complete and full life, many others don’t get that opportunity, and die of lung and pancreas complications early on.

Every single penny donated will go directly to the Piper's Angels Foundation, which raises funds not only to treat and bring awareness to Cystic Fibrosis, but also to provide the most innovative social solutions to support the CF community. They bring forth compassion and love as tools for dissolving the isolating barriers of this disease and manifesting a brighter future for all people with CF. They have made a national and global impact organically, with the flagship fundraising event, Crossing For Cystic Fibrosis, helping to raise awareness and funds.

Please support me in my journey to raise awareness for this horrible disease, to achieve something I never would have thought I could achieve a year ago, and so I can show my support for cystic fibrosis research, treatment, and community across the world.