Showing posts with label Hawaii. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hawaii. Show all posts

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Thank You Hapari!

Sporting the Swim Trunks and the "Captain's Quarters"
I took a marketing class in college as part of my finance degree.  I'll never forget the mantra that our professor repeated over and over.  Great companies find ways to "surprise and delight" their customers.  That is why I think that Hapari is a great company.  They have a great product and they have even better customer service. Color me impressed.  Here's my Hapari story...

My Hapari Experience:
If you're like me, you probably thought that Hapari makes tankini swimsuits for women.  Period.  I had heard good things about Hapari's tankinis, but I don't like to shop and I know next to nothing about fashion in general (except for these tried and true fashion principles for men)--much less women's fashion.  Also, I'm not really in the market for a tankini, so Hapari was pretty far off my radar screen.
Zebra V-Neck Tankini Swimwear
One of Hapari's Famous Tankinis - TheZebra V-Neck
Then my friend Brooke did a Hapari Swimsuit Giveaway on her blog.  Brooke is an amazing blogger and her giveaway attracted throngs of entries.  Finally, because of the giveaway, I decided to go to Hapari's website to see what all the fuss was about.  I was shocked to see that Hapari does have a line of board shorts and swim compression shorts.  Given all the good things I had heard about their women's swimwear, I was a little intrigued to see what their men's swimwear was all about.

Red Aloha Compression Swim Shorts
Red Aloha Compression Swim Shorts
Right about that time, we decided to take a last-minute family vacation to Hawaii.  Now I needed a new suit! I took a closer look and realized that not only were Hapari's boardshorts and compression shorts a good deal--they were also on sale.  I ordered a pair of board shorts and a pair of the swim compression shorts (aka "Captain's Quarters").
Mens Blue Hawaiian Tribal Boardshorts
Men's Blue Hawaiian Tribal Boardshorts

















I placed my order about a week before I was supposed to fly to Hawaii.  After placing my order, I realized that Hapari was having a free shipping promotion that I had somehow missed out on.  I called Hapari customer service to see if they would retroactively apply it for me.  I was surprised and delighted when they did (without giving me any hassle)!  =o)

We were scheduled to leave on Saturday morning.  I dutifully tracked my package all the way to my office building via the USPS's web site.  Then at 6:00 p.m. on Friday evening, I realized that the package still hadn't arrived!  I raced down to the Post Office Sorting Center to see what had happened and to try and intercept my package.  Apparently, my package had made it all the way to my building, but due to a shipping mix-up my package had been sent back to Hapari!  (Somehow, my suite number hadn't made it on the package)

I waited in the bowels of the Post Office Center amidst scores of Netflix returns, orthodontic appointment cards, and various other packages that were leaving that night.  Unfortunately, no one there could find my package.  I would have to fly to Hawaii without my Hapari gear!

Yes, I was disappointed, but I still hadn't lost all hope.  I emailed Hapari Customer Service over the weekend to let them know what had happened and to see if they could help.  Little did I know that I was about to be surprised and delighted for a second time.

I woke up Monday morning in Hawaii to find the following email in my inbox from Hapari Customer Service:
Hapari Customer Service is all over it...
Wow!  How could you ask for anything more?  Not only did Hapari ship it Express Mail--to Hawaii--but they also did it at their own expense!

Needless to say, I was really excited for the package to arrive, which it did two days later.  After the package arrived, one of Hapari's Customer Service People actually sent me another email to make sure that it had arrived properly.  (Thanks River!)

Product Review: Hapari's Boardshorts:
My first thought when I pulled out my new board shorts was that they were HUGE!  Little did I know that instead of a size 36, I had received a size 40!  (Don't worry, Hapari would make it right later on.)  I figured that I was stuck with them, however, because I'd be back home by the time that Hapari could send me a smaller replacement pair, so I went ahead and decided to use them anyway.

My next observation was that the boardshorts felt incredibly soft right out of the package.  I'm used to boardshorts having a stiffer fabric, so I was a little worried at first.  I shouldn't have been.

I quickly realized that I loved the soft feel of the fabric.  It made them incredibly comfortable to wear.

I have no idea what fabric Hapari uses for its tankinis, but if it is anywhere near as good of a quality as the stuff that it uses for its boardshorts, I can see why Hapari has developed such a loyal following amongst its female customers.


I also thought that the shorts looked as good in person as they did on the website. Even my wife was impressed with how they looked.  She doesn't have a lot of confidence in my ability to pick out clothes on my own, so I think she was a little confused that I managed to find them on my own!  (See me attempting to model the shorts in the pic...)

For me, the fact that the shorts are both stylish (at least according to my wife) and comfortable means that I have hit the Holy Grail of shopping.  (Because I hate shopping for clothes!)  I really need to buy 2 more pairs!  I just wish they came in more patterns than just red and blue.

They are so comfortable that I even wore them to the Hawaiian Luau that we went to on Sunday afternoon.  Here's a pic that we got of me taking our three year old daughter up on stage to learn how to do the Hula Dance.  My daughter (E.) is dressed in purple below.  I'm the dude in blue who can't quite keep the beat!  :(
My Hips Don't Lie...The Hapari Boardshorts in Action
When I got back to California, Hapari sent me a replacement pair since the first pair were a little too big.  Again, Hapari did it--no questions asked--and shipped it for free.  They surprised and delighted me for a third time.  Thanks Hapari!  =o)

Product Review: "Captain's Quarters" Swim Compression Shorts:
Hapari has a large selection of these shorts on its website.  But at the time that I ordered these, they were out-of-stock in my size on every single style except for the red aloha version.

But before I continue my review, I must digress for a moment:

I'm sure that a girl named this product.  And it's a cute name, if you're shopping for your kid.  And the name probably tested well with women.  I am just not that big of a fan of the name.

I told Hapari this on the phone, so it's not like I'm afraid to give them my opinion on this issue.  To me, the name conjures up images of "tighty-whitey's" and other unmentionable things that guys would rather not discuss (at least publicly).  I much prefer to call them compression shorts or swim compression shorts.  But hey, this is only a minor nit in the grand scheme of things.

I bought these because boardshorts can be very uncomfortable to walk around in--particularly when they are wet.  It tends to lead to chafing of sensitive areas.  This can be a very painful experience if you spend all day playing on the beach.

I also love wearing compression shorts when I play basketball or run.  Finally, these shorts remind me of the swimming "jammers" that I wear to the pool when I swim laps.  So the thought of wearing these seemed very natural to me.  I also thought they might be kind of fun to have for our Hawaii adventure.  Little did I know that I was going to hit the jackpot by ordering these.  Yes, I liked them that much.  =o)

At first, I wasn't quite sure whether these were strictly for wearing under my boardshorts or whether I could wear them in their own right.  Hapari's web site claims that you can wear them both ways, so I just decided to  go with what felt comfortable.

When I opened up the package, I realized that these shorts looked bright.  My wife agreed and couldn't stop giving me grief about how bright they were.  Little did I know that that was just the beginning of the mockery and grief I would endure from her.  But in the end, it was worth it.  Yes, the shorts are that comfortable!
Hard at "work" on our favorite beach while wearing my swim compression shorts...
Because my boardshorts were a little big, I thought they might come off in the surf, so I decided to wear only the swim compression shorts while in the water (i.e. body surfing, snorkeling, etc.).  My wife is insistent that I post more "action shots" of me wearing only the swim compression shorts, but this is a family-friendly blog, so those pictures have been safely embargoed.  My wife thought that the floral pattern was pretty bright and not manly.  She also thought that the "Captain's Quarters" were a bit...ahem...form fitting.

Well, of course they are!  They are compression shorts for goodness sake.  But if I had to do it again, I would buy the black ones.  Also, I wish that the swim compression shorts were a little longer.  The pics on Hapari's web site show these shorts going almost to the knee of their models.  I'm pretty tall and mine came barely to my mid-thigh.  I'm betting that whomever Hapari used to model these shorts were definitely shorter than I am!
Oops, how did this shot get in there?  The Captain's Quarters are a little longer than these ones are...
But the swim compression shorts themselves were so comfortable to wear that I didn't even mind my wife's teasing or the fact that I wished that they were a little longer.  The shorts have a soft, satin-like texture and made swimming easy and fun.  I also like how the red color complemented/contrasted the blue on my boardshorts.  I need to remind myself to get a couple additional pairs the next time that we go to Hawaii on vacation.

So, in summary, if you're thinking about getting the Hapari swim compression shorts, go ahead and pull the trigger.  You won't regret it.

One Final Surprise:
Hang Loose Hapari
Despite the minor shipping and sizing issues that I had with my order, my Hapari purchases were totally worth it.  The products were great and so were the prices.  The exceptional customer service was just a bonus.

Still, Hapari had one final surprise in store for me.  I received an email just the other day notifying me that Hapari had gone ahead and refunded my entire order!  Yay!

At this point in time, being surprised and delighted by Hapari has become almost routine!

Anyway, if you're looking for some quality board shorts or swim wear at reasonable prices, I'd say you can't go wrong with Hapari's stuff.  Mahalo, Hapari!  =o)
We Love Hapari!


Monday, March 26, 2012

6:30:00

Something to shoot for, my friend...
Everyone talks about goals.  I believe in setting goals as well.  One of the things that I like about triathlons is that your goals could not be more simple.  Oftentimes, your goal may be nothing more than a set of numbers on the clock.  For me, 06:30 is more than just a heinous time to be awake in the morning.  It is my goal for my next race.

My next race will be my first of this year.  I call it "Oceanside" but its official name is Ironman California.

Even though the race takes place in Oceanside, California--only about 15 minutes from where I grew up--I first became aware of it two years ago.  I was driving down the freeway through Camp Pendleton when I got a text from my brother.  He was updating me on his progress in the race.  I hadn't even known he was racing!  And I really didn't know much about triathlons either since I had never done one.

I soon got another text from my brother and became intrigued.  What was this race and how did he have time to be sending me texts during the middle of it??

I decided to pull off the freeway when I got to Oceanside and track my brother down on the course.  By this time, he was on the final stretch--the run.  I called my parents who were on the way to see him finish and I decided to follow my brother during the run so that I could let my parents know where he was at on the half marathon when they got there.
Little did my brother know he would inspire me to follow in his footsteps...
I don't think I had actually run a race of any type in about a decade.  I was also dealing with a bum knee.  But fortunately, I had shorts on that day and so I shadowed my brother on the course with my cell phone in one hand and my blackberry in the other.

My brother finished and I was hooked.  I did my first triathlon about four months later and I did Oceanside half the next year.  Saturday will mark my second consecutive year doing the race.

The Training
Obviously, the first part of the event is the swim.  I really haven't swam a bunch over the past few months, but I think I've done enough to at least equal last year's time for the 1.2 mile swim.  The swim in Kona really did help my confidence.  I just wish that Oceanside Harbor were as warm and as beautiful as Kailua Bay!

Instead of 30 feet of visibility, Oceanside Harbor will offer about 3 inches.  And instead of beautiful sea turtles for swimming companions, I'll have to hope that the sea lions keep their distance.  And instead of warm, 80 degree water, I'll have to contend with water in the high 50s.  Other than that, the two swims are really about the same!
My ride
The next part is the bike--56 miles of it.  I got a few good rides in while I was in Hawaii, including a 20 miler and a 60 miler.  (Not to mention my flat tire!)  Then yesterday, I got a 40 miler in along a big chunk of the actual course in Camp Pendleton.  It was nice to be back on my own bike again!  I think that I have a chance to make up some time on the bike this year!

I felt a little self-conscious asking to have someone take a picture of me while I was biking in Hawaii, so I snapped these as I cruised along....
I love the white stone "graffiti" messages alongside the Queen K Hwy
Don't try this at home...
The last part is the run.  Last year, at about Mile 50 of the bike ride, I remember thinking that my legs didn't have a half marathon (13.1 miles) in them.  My longest run ever in the history of my life up to that point had been 10 miles when I was about 12 years old.  They probably didn't, but somehow I managed to keep going.    I feel like I'm stronger this year and I'm looking forward to improving on my run time from last year.

People always ask me, how do you find time to train.  The truth is, I don't.  But rather than worry, I have come to embrace it.  Before last year's race, I had never swam 1.2 miles--ever.  I had never biked 56 miles--ever.  And I had never done a half marathon.

I did a lot of training runs at midnight and even 2 a.m before last year's race.  Then in that race, I remember getting to about mile 9 of last year's run and coming to the realization that I was going to finish.  I actually got a little emotional because finishing to me was victory.  And it symbolized that I had come a long way in the past year.  I had gone from being a guy who had to watch his brother do the race--not thinking that I could do it own my own--to being able to finish my own race.

And Saturday, I get to race against last year's version of myself.  I'm definitely a year older, hopefully a year wiser, and I expect to be an even better version of myself.  That's the real challenge--to race against the clock and against last year's "me" and to beat both of them.

1.2 miles in the water.  56 miles on the bike.  13.1 miles on foot.

All in less than 6:30:00.

Here's to achieving our goals!


Sunday, March 25, 2012

Top 10 Things About Being in Hawaii on a Sunday...


We were pleasantly surprised to discover that Kona has a temple!
Three weeks ago, we woke up to find ourselves in Waikoloa, Hawaii.  Some of us slept better than others...
S. and R. somehow managed to commandeer the bed... don't they look comfy?
while Dad was bringing in the luggage following our late night flight, everyone was scrambling for a place to crash.

I'm still at a loss for how the assignments got divvied up.  My best guess is that J. was too tired to care.  

I think that everyone got a pretty decent place.  I ended up with the floor.  At least I found an extra set of clean linens to throw down beneath me!

It kind of reminded me of my accommodations at the in-laws for Christmas--minus my own pillow and blanket...  ;)

Still, I coudn't complain too much.  We were in Hawaii after all and we were embarking on a ten-day vacation. So without further ado, here are my top 10 things about being in Hawaii on a Sunday!

The Top 10:
10. Since you're traveling, you have a good excuse for forgetting that it was Fast Sunday. 

9. Spending quality time with the family means hitting the beach (i.e. A Bay) with the kids. 
R. and S. enjoy Anaeho'omalu Bay in Waikoloa
8. Being greeted with a hearty "Aloha" from every person who shares their testimony in church.
  • This just doesn't happen on the mainland.  I remember feeling a little uncomfortable when people would do that in church back home.  But here, everyone did it.  It was kind of cool. 
7. Rationalizing that since Hawaii is so laid back, the kids are okay wearing shorts and t-shirts to church. (Then realizing that no one else was dressed as casually as your family was.)
I can't remember if we forgot to pack church clothes....
J. assured me that everyone in Hawaii wore sandals to church.  I wasn't so sure and actually wore shoes.  Turns out, I was right.  But maybe that's only because we went to the Waimea 1st Ward up in the mountains.
6. Enjoying the beautiful 50 foot ceilings in the chapel and being grateful for the 20 ceiling fans. 
This chapel was beautiful--inside and out
5. Enjoying the beautiful drive up the mountain and seemingly into the clouds to attend church in paradise. 
Waimea was in the mountains and totally different than the coast
4. Being 30 minutes late to church because it looked like the chapel "was just up the road" based on the crappy rental car map I was using...oops, my bad!


3. Not having to look around to see which of my Young Men were going to make it to church in time to administer the Sacrament.






2. Being able to spend all day with the wife and kids. In Hawaii. 
E. and J. mess around in church
1.  Walking into church, on an island, in the middle of the ocean, 2,500 miles away from home and seeing the faithful Saints in white shirts and ties, hearing their humble testimonies, and realizing that the Gospel is true no matter what part of the world you live in!

Other Thoughts:
Even though we went to church, we probably negated any blessings by taking a very scenic drive into Kona to make a pit stop at Costco.  Our excuse was that we needed supplies...and we did.  We stocked up on food for the condo and I bought some bedding supplies.  I figured that if I was going to be sleeping on the floor for 10 days, I might as well be comfortable...

The next Sunday, we went to the Kona 1st Ward and also had a great experience there!  Great talks by the youth speakers and adult speakers and it was just beautiful.  Plus, the Kona Stake Center is next door to the beautiful temple!

The Most Important Rule for Traveling on a Family Vacation:
I realized the truth of this rule on that first Sunday and I tried to remember it for the rest of the trip:

"If Mom's not happy, no one's happy!"

There is a secondary rule which is that if the kids aren't happy, no one's happy.  But Rule #2 is not as important as Rule No. 1!  =o)

I hope everyone is having a great Sunday!

Monday, March 12, 2012

Aloha Means Goodbye

A Sunday in Paradise--The Kona Coast
"All my bags are packed I'm ready to go...
Cause I'm leavin' on a jet plane
Don't know when I'll be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go"

Maybe John Denver said it best.  After what seems like an eternity, we are leaving The Big Island to head home.  By the time anyone reads this, we will be there.

This has been an amazing ten days.  Best.Dyer.Family.Vacation.Ever!  Okay, maybe that's not saying so much since it's practically the only Dyer Family Vacation ever, but it's one that I hope we remember for a long time.  
Kilauea's Road to Nowhere
We have snorkeled with Sea Turtles, ran and cycled through lava fields, frolicked on white sand beaches, made sand castles on black sand beaches, walked through lava tubes, seen lava flows/eruptions/craters, feasted at luaus, and literally pushed our rental car to its limits (don't tell Budget) as we have climbed mountains.  It has been amazing!

I hate to go and I don't know when we'll be back again.  But I have a feeling that we will be back. One day.   =o)

I'll try and do a few posts in the coming days to recap some of our adventures.

But for now...this is the end of the road!  Aloha, Hawaii!
The End of the Road...At least for Mount Kilauea

Saturday, March 10, 2012

On Finishing...

Kailua Bay in Kailua-Kona
I've had a little extra time on my hands this week, so I went for a swim yesterday in Kailua Bay.  =o)  The picture shows where I started my swim.  This also happens to be the starting point for the Ironman World Championships.  I wanted to swim the course and I wanted "christen" my new tri shorts for the upcoming season.

As you can see the water is beautiful and clear.  You get out about 15 feet and you find yourself surrounded by fish and coral that are just spectacular.  I set my sights on a floating platform in the distance and swam.  To make sure that I swam in a straight line, I would line up the platform in the distance and then pick a spot out on the ocean floor that was in line with that distant spot.  I repeated this over and over and made steady progress out to the platform.

I later learned that the platform was about 3/4 of a mile out to sea.  The guy on the platform was a little surprised to see me so far out all by myself.  (He was also kind of a jerk since he wouldn't let me board the platform momentarily to clean and adjust my goggles due to what he called "liability reasons."  Whatever dude!)

On the way back to the pier, the strap on my swim goggles broke and the goggles came off my head.  There was no way I could fix them them in the open water, so I stowed them and kept working towards my landmark on the shore.

Without my goggles, however, I became essentially blind.   I could no longer spot landmarks on the floor of the bay and I couldn't really sight landmarks on the shore because my eyes were burning from the salt water.  I felt like I wasn't making the progress that I should have been making and a knot of panic began pushing its way up into the back of my mind.

I worried that I wasn't making progress because I was caught in a rip current and my insecurities about swimming made me worry whether I had the strength to make it to the shore.  The fact that I was nearly blind and alone in the water did not help.
My kids were waiting for me to finish
I managed a quick prayer and realized that I was strong enough--I just had to finish.  And I was determined to make that happen.  I picked out a closer, more achievable landmark on the shore and began to swim for that.  In short order, because my new landmark was closer, I realized that I was making progress.  I finished by swimming up to my kids who were busy snorkeling in the protected harbor.

I figure that my swim was probably a total of 1.5 miles and I did it in 1 hour and 10 minutes.  I have never swam that far or that long before.  I know that my time is slow, but to me the important thing was that I finished.  And I bet that the next time I do this swim (hopefully as an official participant?), I'll be faster than I was yesterday.

***********
Tonight, I went for a run along a portion of the Ironman course on the Queen K Highway.  I had mapped out a 10k course for myself.  What I hadn't mapped out were the seemingly gale-force winds that I ran into for the first half of the run.
A portion of the Queen K during daytime hours
It was late, dark, and I was all alone as I ran past the lava fields the line the sides of the Queen K Highway.  There were few cars and even fewer street lights.  The wind was so strong that for the first half of my run I had to strain to even hear the melody on my iPod.  Fortunately, there was nearly a full moon to guide me and a white stripe that marked the edge of the roadway.  There was actually enough moonlight for me to catch a glimpse of the massive, snow-capped peaks of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa.  (Mauna Kea is actually taller than Mt. Everest, if measured from the sea floor.)

I hit the turnaround a little behind the pace that I had set for myself--no doubt due, in part, to the strong headwind that I faced.  As soon as I turned around, however, I felt the tailwind pushing me.  Though I was tired, it was exhilarating to run with the wind--particularly after having fought it for the first part of the run.

I thought that if I ever do get to be a participant in Kona, I will likely be finishing the race late--after nightfall and I may have to face some of the same conditions (i.e. darkness, strong winds, etc.).  It may sound hokey, but it was inspiring to think about being able to finish that type of race.  If I am ever fortunate enough to participate in Kona, I know that I will not "win" the race.  But the important thing is that I will finish the race.

***********
Every Kona competitor wants to cross the finish line.
I've always considered myself a finisher.  Going for a swim workout or a run are not really all that important in the grand scheme of things in their own right.  But I like to think that if we practice at doing our best and finishing the little things, we will build up our confidence and increase our faith that we can finish the "big" things--the things that really matter in life.

I like what the Apostle Paul said: "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:" (2 Timothy 4:7).  I thought about that scripture tonight as I ran (and a few others as well).

Finishing can be hard when it feels like you are blinded (whether by darkness, salt water or oncoming headlights), are not making any progress, are caught in a rip current, or are physically running into headwinds. But I believe that if we set worthy goals and have good landmarks to guide us (literally and metaphorically), we will be able to finish.  And finish strong.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

My Good Samaritan


My "Mecca" - The Queen K Highway
(viewed faintly as the line on the right)
I had a couple of firsts today...here's one of them:

I went for a bike ride today.  I had been waiting to ride this particular stretch of road for quite sometime and then I got less than 2 miles into my ride when I hit a chunk of something in the road.  Even through my headphones, I immediately heard a loud hissing sound.  I had my first flat!

I stopped riding and set to work.  I still consider myself a novice rider--definitely not a pro, so I decided to look at it as a challenge to get this flat changed on my own.  Even though I've never changed a flat, I had seen Youtube videos of how to do it and I thought that I knew how to do it in theory.


I felt like I was making good progress when all of a sudden, I noticed a car backing up toward me on the highway.  It was one of the guys from the bike shop--my good Samaritan!  He gave me a few pointers and, because it was getting dark, offered to throw my bike in his truck and drop me off at the bike shop just down the road.
Not my bike, but you get the idea...
Even though I thought I was on my way, I was extremely grateful for the help.  It was actually a good thing that I ended up at the bike shop too because the impact had ruptured the sidewall of the tire--meaning that I would have to replace the tire as well as the inner tube.  It would have been unsafe to just change the tube and  keep riding.

So I was grateful for the help that arrived even before I realized how much I really needed it.  Sometimes I think life is like that.  We have a loving Heavenly Father that is willing to give us blessings even before we realize that we need to ask for them.  I really need to be sure to thank Him in my prayers tonight for sending Bob--the guy from the bike shop.

*********
Chrissie Wellington rides the Queen K
The stretch of road I was all pumped to ride is the site of the World Ironman Championships.

Participating in this race is on my bucket list.  The only way to get in to is (literally) win a lottery or qualify as an "age grouper" competitor.

Sadly, my odds of winning the Kona lottery (205 slots are reserved for more than 70,000 entrants in the lottery) are probably much better than my odds of qualifying as an age grouper. But that doesn't stop me from dreaming!  =o)

The nature of the race lends itself to great inspirational stories.  My experience today reminded me of one of my favorite inspiring stories and a great example of sportsmanship.

Chrissie Wellington is the Michael Jordan of the women's Ironman.  One year during the race, she got a flat tire.  (Maybe close to where I got mine?)

She went to fix her flat, but her CO2 cannister failed.  She had no backup.  She had been out in front leading the race, but now competitor after competitor passed her.  The spectators could not give her assistance or she would be disqualified.  Without a tiny little cannister of compressed air to fill her tire up, she would not even be able to finish the race--a major upset.

The only person that could provide her assistance would be another competitor.  But doing so might mean that that competitor might not be able to fix their own tire if he/she got a flat.  In addition, helping Chrissie might mean that the competitor might lose to Chrissie.  Finally, after what must have seemed liken an eternity--at least to Chrissie--one competitor (anonymous as far as I remember) tossed Chrissie a spare cartridge.

Chrissie finished fixing her tire, got back on her bike, made up the time, passed all of the other female competitors to finish first after the bike portion, and went on to win the championship!  Talk about inspiring!

But what was most inspiring was the example of sportsmanship from the fellow competitor.  It really reminded me of the story of Jesse Owens and Luz Long in the long jump competition at the 1936 Olympics.

**********
I know my story is not as dramatic as those of Chrissie Wellington and Jesse Owens, but I don't think you have to be an elite athlete to appreciate sportsmanship or to have gratitude for those people who unexpectedly appear in our lives to help us at times when we may need them most.