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Saturday, February 28th and Sunday, March 1st 2009 |
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A NOTE FROM THE TEAM CAPTAIN
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Gasparilla, Gasparilla, Gasparilla, why do I love this race?
Gasparilla is the heartbeat of Tampa Bay. It is a week long celebration that begins with pirates invading the city and ends with the Gasparilla Distance Classic. A weekend of running that takes you through our palm tree lined city and along beautiful waterways.
You will see pirates. You will see our mayor. You will see inspiration in the faces of every runner seeking the finish line.
Two years ago I endured an eight hour surgery to remove neurofibroma tumors from my optic nerve and sinuses. The surgery included reconstructing my face. This was my 19th surgery for NF. It was by far the most difficult surgery, leaving me temporarily blind. 
Six weeks later, I finished the Gasparilla Distance Classic by walking the 5K with the support of friends and family. I needed a goal. I needed something to get me out of bed and begin my recovery. I picked Gasparilla.
The day after waking from surgery, I walked around the nurses station, making the hospital bed my finish line. It felt like a marathon. I was completely exhausted and the pain seemed unbearable. Every day with the help of the people around me, I walked a little further. Destinations like the nurses station and trips to the mailbox were where training began. With one foot in front of the other, I walked for six weeks, gaining my strength, my endurance, my vision and my purpose to not let this disease take one glorious moment of my life away.
I continue to race in triathlon and running events for the NF Endurance Team. I continue to undergo surgeries to treat my Neurofibromatosis. Sometimes I hear that racing with NF inspires others. I have this disease. I have to fight. I have no choice.  What is amazing to me: the hundreds of people who do not have this disease, they have a choice, and they still choose to fight. They fight for the same things that I do -- to raise awareness and fund a cure. They are the true heroes of the NF Endurance Team.
See you at the finish line,
Candice Patterson
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