Pine Lake Ultraman · Complete · June 18

The People Who Showed Up

None of this happens alone.

The list of people who showed up across three days is long. Every name below changed this story.

Sara

Crew Chief · Partner · Rock

She did it all -- the way she always has in our 20 years together, with love, care, and a thoroughness that makes everything possible. Every transition, every logistics call, every hard moment across three days. She crewed the swim, the bikes, the run. She drove to HOPE Shelters on Day 3 -- and then ran 6 miles from HOPE back to the Kathy aid station. And she has continued through every day of recovery. None of this is possible without her.

Kathy

aka Glenda · Three Days · All the Food

She was there every day, multiple times a day, with homemade food and unwavering energy. On Day 3 she fed the runners too -- every single person who came out on that trail was taken care of because of Kathy. She showed up the way she always does: quietly, completely, without being asked.

20 Years · Birthday · Marathon

One of my oldest and closest friends. We started our careers together in New York, did our first triathlons together, and have been brothers for 20 years. On his birthday, he took a 6AM flight from NYC, ran a full marathon in the heat -- planning on 10, staying for 26 -- guided me through the brutal final miles, and flew home the next morning to be with his family on Father's Day. That's love.

Henry, Garrett & Alaina

The Reason · Personal Bests

Henry ran a personal best of 9 miles, starting and ending with me. Garrett ran a personal best of 4.5 miles and finished alongside me, wanting to protect me to the end. Alaina said exactly what needed to be said at the finish: "We always cross the finish line with you, Dad." Everything I do is for them. They already get it.

The Trail

Day 3 · Everyone Who Came Out

Tom Stacy was with me for all four events and ran, swam, and biked personal bests across the board. He played a critical role in the 100-miler and showed up the same way here. Aunt Mandy showed up for the swim and stayed for the entire 6.2 miles, capturing the footage from the water. Damon Leslie flew in on a redeye from LAX, came straight to the house to see us off on the bikes, went with Sara to HOPE Shelters on Day 3, and then ran a personal best of 17 miles. Randy Yu showed up and more than doubled his previous longest run of 13.1 miles -- running 30 miles on the day. We're still talking about it. Neeraj Bhagat drove to South Lyon on Day 2 with Gatorade and water that made the plan executable, then came back on Day 3 loaded up and ran all the way from Long Lake Trailhead to Wixom. Autumn Coulter, a 100-miler vet and my biggest office cheerleader, made the E.T. meme that raised the most funds in a single day -- and ran 11 miles on the trail. Jess Fett waited at the Drafting Table with ice water that came at exactly the right moment. Julie Boledovich founded the MOM race after her own mother's passing -- running that event years ago was the first time I felt comfortable sharing my mom's story. She appeared at mile 43 with a cooler full of ice, water, and Gatorade when DJ and I were completely cooked, and still ran 9 miles. Michelle Parks shared miles on the trail and later sent Sara a photo with something unmistakable in it -- more on that below. Tom & Benji Isaacs showed up and showed out, with Benji becoming the youngest person to run a mile at the event. Andy and Nicole Hill ran the final 4.5 miles and brought 50 pounds of ice to the house for recovery. Carlo and Jamie Vivio brought their boys out in the heat and showed up with Coke and incredible snacks from their new business, Taluma Baking Co. Aunt Mary and Aunt Lee met me in South Lyon with Gatorades to power me to the end of day one. It meant so much to have Bill and Jacque come out on night one to help me finish strong. The Sheltons, our dear friends and neighbors, came out to show their love on the trail with Eric Davidson, whose support for HOPE's mission goes back further than anyone's.

Michelle

The Green Dot

Michelle lost her brother. In their family, they believe he appears in photos as a green dot -- a sign that he is near. After Day 3, she sent Sara a photo from the trail. The green dot is unmistakable.

In my race updates, I wrote about my belief that I had angels with me across all three days. I still believe that. This photo is one of the reasons why.

And to everyone who sent a text, left a comment, shared a post, or simply said "I see what you're doing" -- that matters more than you know. You kept me moving.

Why It Matters

Every mile raises money for people who need a safe place to land.

HOPE Shelters is a Pontiac, Michigan nonprofit that provides emergency shelter and wraparound support to people experiencing homelessness. Not just a bed. Real programs, real advocacy, and real people who help others rebuild.

This cause is personal. My mom spent her life caring for the people most others walked past. HOPE does the work my mom believed in: the hard, unglamorous work of sitting with someone in crisis and refusing to look away.

I've raised over $65,000 for HOPE across four events. The campaign is still open.

A special thank you to Eric and Amy Davidson, whose early introduction to HOPE Shelters and generous ongoing support have made this mission possible from the very beginning.

"When she saw someone in need, she didn't just hand over a few dollars. She got to know them. She sat down to a meal with them. That's HOPE Shelters. That's my mom. That's why I do this."

$21,295

Raised in 2023

100-mile run · Walker + Trade Desk challenge

$13,030

Raised in 2025

Mackinac swim · 81 donors
Including lemonade stand proceeds

$31,512

Raised · Pine Lake Ultraman 2026

GoFundMe: $16,307 Direct donations: $11,000 The Trade Desk / Benevity: $4,330

$65,837

Cumulative total raised for HOPE

Across four events · 2023 · 2025 · 2026

The campaign is still open

320 miles complete. $65,837 raised across four events. The GoFundMe has now raised $16,307 and counting. Help push this even further for HOPE.

Donate on GoFundMe ↗

The Story

Everything we want in life is on the other side of hard.

I grew up watching my mom help people the rest of the world walked past. Not with a quick handout. She'd sit down with them, share a meal, learn their name. When she saw someone in need, she got closer, not further away. That's who she was.

Her life was also marked by bipolar disorder and addiction. She died alone, on the street. And as painful as that is to carry, her life was never defined by her disease. She was defined by her love, her generosity, and her fierce instinct to care for people everyone else had forgotten.

That's why I run for HOPE Shelters. That's why I swim through cold open water. That's why I ride across the state in a day. Not to outrun grief. You can't. But to do something worthy of the people who shaped you.

Endurance sports taught me that everything worth having is on the other side of the moment you want to quit. That's also just true of life. I want my kids to see that. I want them to know that showing up, doing the hard thing, and caring about something beyond yourself -- that's the whole game.

Garrett smiling, Ryan and DJ hugging in the background

Photo: Ryan with family

Pap

Distinguished Flying Cross · WWII

The Foundation

He showed up. Every time.

E. Earl Picard · Pap · 1922 – 2005

My Pap was a decorated WWII veteran who received the Distinguished Flying Cross, but the things I remember most about him have nothing to do with medals or service. They were quieter than that.

He was less words and more deeds. He always showed up. He made me feel safe, secure, and loved. When I was half done cutting the grass at his house, he'd tap me on the shoulder and say, "Let's go inside for a cold drink." He picked me up for every game, every school event. He looked me in the eye and cared what I had to say. When I was in college and he was deep in his Alzheimer's battle, I went to help him. But the truth is, he was always the one helping me.

"Memories exist outside of time and have no beginning or end." Pap's memory lives on in his family.

I think about him every time I try to be consistent. Every time I show up when I don't feel like it. Every time I choose presence over performance. He never needed an audience. He just kept going, quietly, until he couldn't anymore.

That's who I'm trying to be. For my kids, the way he was for me.

Eight Years of Showing Up

The Road Here.

2021

Ironman Triathlon

2.4mi swim · 112mi bike · 26.2mi run

The first time all three disciplines came together in a single day. The Ironman proved the formula worked: with a plan, enough early mornings, and a willingness to be uncomfortable, the body could do things the mind would rather avoid.

Photo: Ironman race day

2022

29029 · Stratton Mountain

29029 vertical feet · 33 hours · Vermont

Climbing the equivalent of Everest's height on a ski mountain with Sara. Lap after lap, through the night, until the summit was reached.

Photo: Stratton Mountain climb

2023

100-Mile Run

Pontiac-to-Wixom Trails · 24 hrs 52 min · $21,295 raised

The most painful thing I've ever done. The knee blew up at mile 75. The last 8 miles were a power walk with Sara, who stayed out through the night. When I hit 100, my kids ran the final stretch with me. I'd been thinking about that moment for three years.

The fundraiser started as a quiet effort. Then a coworker put my face on a Forrest Gump image and sent it to every Slack channel in the company. $1,500 in a day. Sixty-six donors. $21,295 for HOPE Shelters.

100 mi Distance

24:52 Total time

$21,295 For HOPE Shelters

Photo: Finish line with kids · 100-mile run

2024

Michigan Coast-to-Coast · Gravel Grinder

204 miles · Lake Huron to Lake Michigan · In memory of Meghan Malley

This one was for Mike and Meg. Meg was a dear friend, and one of the people who helped me finish the 100-miler. She'd been fighting stage IV metastatic breast cancer for 12 years when she passed. Mike and I had always talked about doing a cycling adventure together, and after Meg died, I made him a promise: next time he wanted to tackle something big, I wanted to be his first call.

204 miles across Michigan. Monsoon rains. Flooded sand dunes. Brakes destroyed by wet grit. A rear derailleur that snapped off at mile 156 in the middle of the Manistee Forest and ended my day, but left two guys who refused to quit and persevered.

204 mi Distance

18+ hrs Total time

For Meg Always

Photo: Coast-to-Coast ride / Mike & Ryan / finish line

2025

Mackinac Island Swim

8.2 miles · Open water · 6 hrs 15 min · $13,030 raised

I'm not a swimmer. I still can only breathe on my right side. But on our 15th anniversary trip, I saw a sign for the island swim and knew immediately: that's next. I started training in February. Pitch dark. Frozen pool. Half-mile workouts. By August I'd swum 112 miles in training.

Before the start, my daughter Alaina started to cry. She was scared for me. I gave her a bear hug, promised I'd be safe, and thought about her face for the first two miles. At the finish, Garrett and Henry swam out to meet me. We crossed together.

My kids donated 100% of their lemonade stand proceeds. That detail says everything.

8.2 mi Open water

6:15 Total time

$13,030 For HOPE Shelters

Photo: Mackinac swim finish / family at checkpoint

320 miles.
Done.

What started as one person chasing a limit became something much bigger.

June 18–20, 2026

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None of this happens alone.