Duathlon Worlds 2015 Fundraiser

Hi, my name's Alisha Shutler, and I need your help to compete on the world stage in Australia this October!

I am an amateur athlete in Oklahoma. I started competing in distance running years ago, eventually finding my way over to the bike when some friends urged me to enter my first road race. I was hooked, and for a few years I only rode and raced bikes, never looking back. 

After joining the Tulsa Wheelmen, one of my closest teammates suggested I try competing in Duathlon. "Why not?" I thought. "I used to be a runner. How hard can it be?"

Turns out very hard :) But I loved the way it pushed me, and I savored the challenge. I entered every local duathlon I could find last year, realizing that I was good enough locally to maybe stand a chance of really competing at Nationals in 2015. In January of this year I received some good news: turns out that I was ranked #1 in my age division regionally and #13 nationally. The dream was coming true!

Then about a month ago I got an email from USA Triathlon (USAT), telling me that despite not attending Nationals last year, I had qualified to compete at Duathlon Worlds in Adelaide, Australia of this year.

"WHOOHOO!" I thought. "That's marvelous. But..."

"... but..."

But how often do you get an excuse to go to Australia? And compete within a field of world-class athletes, no less?

That's where you come in.

Your contribution will help make this trip possible.

I happen to have a wonderful local Adelaide friend who has offered to house me should I make the trip down under. But that still leaves plenty of other expenses, including:

- Airfare
- Race fees
- Bike transportation
- National team kit fees
- Passport rewnewal

Not to mention plenty of other little costs such as food, race nutrition, and so on. I estimate it will take around $3k just to cover the major expenses listed above. As an amateur athlete I have no sponsors and am responsible for making this trip entirely on my own.

If you are reading this, you're probably a close friend or a fellow teammate or racer, so I know you understand what racing without sponsorship can be like. I cannot tell you how much I would value your contribution to my campaign!  (And if you just happened to find this page on your own, kudos! If you felt inspired by my words, I would love it if you shared this page, and I would greatly value your contribution, too!)

If you do contribute, I don't think I can say "thanks" enough, but I would truly mean it, and I would personally thank you from the very bottom of my heart. If enough funds are raised, then in trubute I plan on running the race with the names of all contributors markered on a race belt or other garmet as a symbol of the help it took me to get there. Because without you, this would not be possible.

Thanks for your help. I hope to report back from the world stage soon!