Sandy’s story (Moddie’s story to be “counter” to this) – gotta make this likely shorter but here’s the idea:
As a kid growing up in standard American middle-class suburbia, I was pretty cautious. My Mom still tells stories – much to my dismay! – of having to get in the sandbox to show me how to play. I found my adventures in books, even from a young age.
I was a good kid – minded my parents, did what I was told. In fact, I’m still pretty much like that. Although my folks were adventurous and athletic,
I found most of my “adventures” in the pages of a book. Although not as crazy about Science as I was about Sci-Fi, what is a bookworm to do? So I got degree
after degree
after degree
after degree!
I wound up as a lawyer in the early 90s, doing Internet, software, and licensing law. I ultimately found myself as general counsel; after a ridiculously bad romantic breakup which left me with enormous debts, I decided to “heal myself” as the saying goes, keeping a blog as I went. A publisher found the blog, which used the Bond Girl from the James Bond movies as my muse; with her help I turned the blog into 2 books on the subject and a speaking and coaching side-career to help women be supportive without being submissive, just like a Bond Girl. I even went back and got another degree, this time in Sexology! I was talking about Bond Girls, after all!
However, as the Roman poet Juvenal wrote, “A Sound Mind only exists in a Sound Body,” which I definitely didn’t have. Well – let me back up. In 1987, I entered a training regime published by the Washington Post on New Year’s Eve, that promised to turn Couch Potatoes into Triathletes by Thanksgiving. It did.
I made a vow to myself at that time that I’d do the Ironman (which started that year) before I was 50. That seemed a long way off until my 48th birthday a couple years ago, when, after going to a Tony Robbins “Unleash Your Power” seminar, I realized that this unrealized goal was hanging over my head. So I got up off the couch once again, and joined the Leukemia Society’s Team In Training.
When I started training, I couldn’t run a block, and was riding my ’80s bike with pedal baskets! But even when training sucked, I remembered that chemo sucks more. I managed to finish the Ironman – last woman over the line, but happy.
This training has continued to this day, and I’ve raised tens of thousands to fight blood cancer. It’s where I met Moddie. Now I’ll let her tell you her story.
MODDIE’S STORY WITH PHOTOS
(which ends with)…This training as continued to this day, and I’ve also raised tens of thousands to fight blood cancer. It’s where I met Sandy.
[Photos of Moddie and Me]
Voiceover trading off:
Sandy: We met because I’d carpool team members to workouts. I loved Moddie from the moment she stepped into my car, because she has these little hiccups that sound like a tree frog. Yes, really. I’m sure you will hear them when we’re on The Amazing Race.
[More photos of us]
Moddie: Okay, now that my big secret is out…<laugh> Sandy and I have trained together, and I even let her drive. We seemed to get loopy and crazy in the same direction – even on 100 plus mile bike rides and two miles swims in the icy San Francisco Bay. So far, so good!
[More photos of us]
Sandy: Moddie thinks outside the box, and definitely is the brave one. Honestly, the thing I like to do the best is to make people laugh. I embraced my ungainly, uncoordinated, 6’2″ white-girl-can’t-jump-ness once I turned 50, and I must admit, it’s a lot more fun to live life in 3D than between the pages.
[More photos]
Moddie: We both want to do this to use the prize money to start non-profits. Mine would benefit kids like me, who have it in them, but come from a hard-knocks background and re-invent themselves.
[photos of kids – PREF Moddie with kids]
Sandy: Mine would benefit kids like my 12 year old adopted grandboy Caleb, who for the past three months has been fighting intense pain that doctor’s can’t figure out. I want to start a non-profit that would help kids like him – and their siblings and parents.
NOW, we want a photo of the two of us lying on the couch (head on each end), which will “morph” into a video. So Moddie will be talking “over the photo” like the other photo montage has been, but it needs to morph into a video of us talking – so the photo “comes alive.”
Moddie: On the first day of November, Sandy and I were daydreaming about how we would do what we wanted to do. And how much we loved watching The Amazing Race. And then we had an epiphany….
[perhaps the photo has gone into the video by now, but it’s been silent, now it cuts in with the sound and video “synched” with me saying:}
Sandy:…you know, we could always apply to The Race.
Moddie: There’s no way. I looked it up, we’d have like 3 days to do a video, get the photos together, all that jazz.
Sandy: Oh come on (kick). You know we can do it. Do you want to think about it?
Moddie: Um, that would be unlike me (both laugh) – no, let’s do it.
Sandy: Did you see it last night? Do you sing? Oh lord you’re going to realize all the things I”m afraid to do.
Moddie: (laugh) Well if you can figure out the clue titles, I’ll do the heights stuff if you’ll eat the bugs.
Sandy: Wait a sec-ond…
New photo fades in of us in the water after Lavaman:
Moddie Stone, 40, moddies@hotmail.com, 415. xxx.xxxx
Sandy Shepard, 51, goodsolutions1@yahoo.com, 415.xxx.xxxx
She’ll do the heights . . . I’ll eat the bugs.