Help Nicole raise money

On Saturday, September 5th, I am participating in the TriFest for MS Olympic-distance triathlon and am raising money for the Rampy MS Research Foundation. I would be honored if you helped me meet my fundraising goal of $2,500 by September 5th. 

The backstory

I started competing in triathlons in 2006. In 2014, I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. A few weeks after my diagnosis, I was supporting other Colorado athletes at the Kansas 70.3 half ironman in Lawrence, but not racing because I was recovering from hip surgeries. (That’s another story.) At the race, I saw athletes wearing kits with the slogan “Team Endurance for MS Research.” Their team tent was across from where our athletes had set up. It seemed appropriate to go over and see what it was all about.

There I met Jo and Scott Rampy and learned about their organization, the race they put on, and their gift for encouragement. Later that year, I signed up for my first TriFest for MS as a virtual participant. I participated virtually in 2015 as well. (They had virtual event participation before COVID!)Confirming I finished the swim. (2014, I think).

Finishing the event’s 10k run, cheered on by my friend Carly.

In 2016, I registered to race the TriFesta 56.1 in Bentonville—three races over the course of two days. Unfortunately, I broke my elbow that year and couldn’t race. But I still made the trip and volunteered instead. (Read about it here.) They brought so much joy and excitement to everyone - adults, kids, and brand-new triathletes. They even had a race for kids with special needs. In 2017, I registered again and finally got to race the TriFesta 56.1.

The 2017 race in Bentonville where I got 2nd place. I can’t remember which of the 3 events this was. For some reason, the other athletes weren’t there so I shared the podium with the Rampys and MS specialists/researchers from the University of Arkansas.

Fast forward to 2026 and I saw the race announcement for their 15th anniversary “homecoming” event. Even though I haven’t done a triathlon since 2018, I wanted to throw my support their way and head back to Bentonville to race. These are amazing people doing great things to make our world a better place for people living with MS. Since I am part of that group and have the ability to race, it would mean a lot to me if you are also able to support the Rampy MS Research Foundation through my event fundraising. Any amount you are able to donate makes a difference. If donating isn’t possible, sharing this with your network helps too!

Thank you for your support! 

With Jo Rampy in 2015 back in Kansas.