Hi friends and family, and welcome! 

I am swimming, biking, and running the Olympic distance Chicago Triathlon for the third year! This is something I never thought I would do even once and I continue to surprise myself. It seems I have been bitten by the triathlon bug! 

Last year I raced with Save the Children and raised $770 for education, healthcare, and emergency services for kids and families around the world. I want to continue my journey in racing for something beyond myself and decided to join the Organization for Autism Reasearch team this year. OAR provides vital research, resources, and programs for children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, their families, educators, and advocates. As a clinical social worker, I have worked with kids on all parts of the spectrum. I have seen first-hand, both professionally and personally, how incredibly helpful additional support can be. A diagnosis of Autism changes lives, presents unique challenges, and requires a lot of adjusting  for everyone involved. Thankfully its stigma has decreased and there is more support and interventions available than ever before. Check out more about OAR here!

Let's keep that progress moving forward, and gain more understanding about Autism. My goal is to raise $600 before the Aug 26! 87% of funds raised go directly to research and service, so you know your money is having a direct impact. I hope you'll join me as I work hard and push myself physically, mentally, and emotionally in my training so that OAR can help individuals and families have to do a little less on their own.  And if I beat my race time, bonus! 

Thank you from the bottom of my heart, I quite literally couldn't do this without you! 

Monica