Mountain Bike interviews Tara
EDITORS NOTE: It’s been almost two years since Tara’s crash. The July issue of Mountain Bike has the most complete interview with Tara -- where she talks about the accident, her recovery, and her personal life -- since that life-altering day. This is a great piece of writing, and one you won’t want to miss. There are lessons in it for all of us.
In a recent blog (reprinted below), Tara mentions this article coming out in this issue. She’s also been featured recently in an interview on SlowTwitch.com. You can read that interview at http://www.slowtwitch.com/Interview/The_inspirational_Tara_Llanes_815.html.
June 1, 2009
dead or alive?
I'm still alive!! Kinda doesn't seem like it's been a month since I blogged, but I guess so. I'm not sure what I've done for the past month, but I know it's been a lot. Hehe. This blog is gonna be on the shorter side of things since it's late and I have an early morning tomorrow.
I want to give you all a heads up for the upcoming Mountain Bike. Jasen Thorpe who is the editor and a friend called me up months ago about doing a story on me. So we started talking and it started turning into more and more of a story. The issue with my interview will be coming out next month so check your local newsstands or just walk to your mailbox if you subscribe. I know Jasen did his research so I hope you enjoy it.
Just a couple days after the training camp I had a photo shoot with an organization that I am ambassador for called Life Rolls On. www.liferollson.org. Life Rolls On helps raise money for Spinal Cord Research through various surf and gala events. The shoot was at a studio down in San Diego and with a photographer name Tim Mantoani. Pretty much as soon as he saw my tattoo he focused on that and took some pretty amazing shots. Tim has had such athletes in his studio as Formula One racer Jacques Villenueve, Carlos Sastre, San Diego Charger Shawn Merriman, Bull Rider Ty Murray, Portland Trailblazer Greg Oden, Roger Clemens, Laker Kobe Bryant, and Lance Armstrong. His pics are pretty rad and he's a nice guy too. The shoot went well and the photos turned out really great. I should be getting some of the shots soon so when I do I'll upload some, but he does have one of them up on his home page if you want to take a look. www.mantoani.com. So it's kinda weird how things work out sometimes, but it just so happened that a woman named Ina Saltz that had come out with a tattoo book had called Tim the very next day asking if he had photographed any athletes lately with interesting tattoos. Tim gave Ina my name and contacted me about being in her next book. I was stoked and had actually seen her first book on a friend's coffee table. Check it out... www.bodytypebook.com. I think it's supposed to come out in the fall so keep an eye out! :) Oh and I want to give my tattoo artist and friend Dejah props on the great work she did!
I was going to be flying back up to Vancouver again a few days after the shoot, but first I had an appointment with a doctor at the UCLA medical center. I had heard that this doctor had helped some other patients overturn rulings on surgeries so I made an appointment. It went well and I am actually going back this Tuesday to meet with a Neurosurgeon and see what they say. Again I'm crossing my fingers.
I flew up to Vancouver after my appointment that day and this time stayed for about a week and a half. The weather was absolutely gorgeous and I had another awesome time even though I rented a jalopy of a hand cycle and won't be doing that again.
Since I've been back home I've been getting the word out about the Giant for Women Mountain Bike Ride and Retreat up in Tahoe, California. There are two of them and the first one is July 11-12th and the second is August 15-16th. You can find out more at....http://www.giantforwomen.com/blog/entry/2009_ride_and_retreat_camps/
I hope to see you there!!
I actually had come home for a few reasons. One reason was to do the LA Marathon on the hand cycle, which I unfortunately did not get to compete in because I got really sick the night before. I was pretty pissed to say the least seeing as how I drove out to the LA Convention Center the day before to pick up my packet and everything. Guess I'll have to wait till' next year.
The second was to attend my friend Hal Hargrave's fundraiser to help raise money for not only Spinal Cord Research, but also to help other people with SCI by giving them funds to keep going to physical therapy or being able to buy them medical equipment. Thanks to Hal's organization I was able to get a new Colours wheelchair!! THANK YOU HAL!! Hal was injured within a month of me and is probably 10 years younger than I am, but has a great aspect on what life's about than most people I know that are 10 years older than me. He just has a heart of gold and is dealing with the card he's been dealt and beautifully I might add. I urge you to go to www.lilhal.info to not only learn more about SCI and our injury, but also to make a donation if you feel so inclined. The event was really amazing. It was held at the Hafif Estate where they had a silent auction and listened to some touching speeches in the amphitheater setting. The night was just really cool and I know they were able to raise some money, which helps us all.
While in town I tried to meet up with as many friends as I could and while I wasn't able to meet up with all of them I was really happy to see the friends that I could.
Today I had to ask my mom to help me get a bunch of shirts both short and long sleeve, hoodies, lip balm, and posters ready to ship to an event Illinois, which took hours but we finally finished up. You can see the new long sleeve t and other Tara Llanes Road to Recovery goodies at www.tarallanesroadtorecovery.com or directly at https://www.tarallanesheartofachampion.com/magento/index.php/clothing. I hope you like the new long sleeve I designed.
Last but not least I want to send a HUUUUGE thank you to The Challenged Athletes Foundation (www.challengedathletes.org) for giving me a grant for my own race chair. I had made the decision a little over a month ago to postpone trying to qualify for the Ironman until 2010. I had to be realistic and at the time I was borrowing my friend Ricky's hand cycle, I didn't have a race chair yet, and I wasn't able to swim because of an open sore on my foot and the chlorine would aggravate it. So between all of those things I knew I was fighting an even more uphill battle than I already was. And even though I knew it made sense to make that decision it was still very very hard. I do understand though that now I have time to get all my ducks in a row and to get my OWN hand cycle, work on technique in my new race chair, and get the proper leg device for swimming. I will keep working and training hard to towards that goal of not only qualifying for the Ironman World Champs, but winning it and I will.
Well, I guess that wasn't such a short blog after all but I have done quite a bit since I wrote last and I'm sure I even left a few things out. I'm off to Vancouver again on Tuesday and will try to write more then!
Cheers!
tara