Dear Editor:

It’s 140.6 miles from the start to the finish line in an Ironman triathlon. Each one of those miles is dedicated to the people who helped, cheered, believed, coached and quietly supported me. My wife Lesley and two daughters Faith and Glory allowed me family time to train. That’s time together we will never get back but a memory of mutual sacrifice to accomplish a goal that we will always share. My mom and dad were my equipment sponsors and cheerleaders from afar. My friend Aqui Alamo, as a veteran Ironman, gave me encouragement and advice. My friend Nick Scott is not only an inspiration to our local student-athletes, but to me as well and helped make me a stronger runner. My friends Stacey Miller and Andrew Morley are the kind of people who help others for the cause not for the applause. Our Y helped me prepare for the 2.4 mile swim. My best friend Mike Hart traveled to Lake Placid with his family to share this amazing adventure with me and my family.

Many people like the Lady Seahawks, Larry Brown, the mechanics at Bath Cycle & Ski, Adam at Maine Running and my buddy Anna DeWolfe encouraged and supported me. Thank you to everyone who sent text messages leading up to and on race day. Many deserve my explicit thanks but it’s hard to do when you have been helped by so many and cheered on by an entire community.

The lesson behind finishing the Ironman is simple. If you set your mind to something and you are committed to taking the many small steps between your starting line and your goal, you can do it. But you’re going to need some help. The people around you are going to have to recognize your goal as your dream. And as my family likes to say, if you don’t have a goal you have nothing to shoot for.

Thanks everyone for your support and encouragement. I wish you the best as you shoot for your goals.

Brian Blethen
Boothbay