Athletes: Get Sponsored Through Team Shawn's Anomaly

GET SPONSORED!

Become A Part of Shawn's Anomaly iDO! Fab 5 Team*

Any endurance athlete that has ever done it can tell you that training for and competing in an endurance event like a marathon or Ironman distance triathlon event can be very expensive.  On top of the physical demands and time for training, a lot of money can be spent on equipment, coaching, nutrition, and apparel. Sometimes the cost can nearly seem impossible to afford.  

The heart of the Shawn's Anomaly Mission is proving that anything is possible, so we have partnered with some great sponsors to offer 5 special athletes a chance to gain sponsorship on their journey to fulfilling their dreams of becoming a marathoner or Ironman.

If you are planning on competing in a 1/2 marathon or larger running event or a 1/2 Ironman distance or larger triathlon in 2013, Shawn's Anomaly would like to offer you an athlete sponsorship for your journey.  All you have to do is make Shawn's Anomaly your Reason2Race.  Here are the benefits of sponsorship:

Race Day Running or Triathlon Kit 

Since 2011, Champion System has been a proud sponsor of Shawn's Anomaly. As a worldwide leader in custom technical apparel, Champion System was founded in 2005 and has quickly earned the reputation as a company offering the finest quality handmade garments for a wide range of sports and activities. 

Strong customer relationships and close collaboration with the world's top athletes has been the key to Champion System’s success. Olympians, National and World Champions, and recreational athletes of all levels wear their distinctive and stylish garments. 

$100 Gift Card From MyFitFoods 

My Fit Foods strives to make fresh, healthy meals to go that are designed to increase energy levels and help those who want to lose weight safe and naturally.

My Fit Foods offer prepared healthy, nutritious and balanced meals along with related products and nutritional consultation services. Over 90% of their meals are gluten free and made fresh every day.  Their meals are perfect for those athletes that spend a lot of time training and have little time to focus on making healthy choices and preparing healthy meals.

Eat Fit, Live Fit, Feel Great

Free Pair of Running Shoes

Newton is a powerful running experience. Run in Newton and you'll be moved by a highly responsive cushioning and ground feel that protects and connects you with every step. Their patented design is built on a more level to the ground platform - like your feet - to support and strengthen your natural motion. Their running shoes are light and comfortable so you can run your own best.

Newton was founded on the principle of helping others. It starts with their commitment to the community and continues with their involvement with a diverse range of philanthropic organizations around the world. They are proud sponsors of Shawn's Anomaly.

Free Pair of yurbuds

yurbuds was founded in 2008 by Seth Burgett, President and CEO, an active triathlete and Richard Daniels, COO, a 24-time marathoner. 

yurbuds' mission is to transform the Athletes' experience through Personalized service and Exceptional audio products that integrate ergonomics and emotive design. Studies show that music can help you increase the intensity and duration of your workouts by as much as 15%, but for most people, they don't get that benefit because their earphones hurt and fall out.  yurbuds sport earphones help push you past your barriers and #BEYONDTHEWALL through their award winning products that keep up with even the most rigorous activity.

Yurbuds is a proud sponsor of the Shawn's Anomaly iDO! Fab 5 team because of their commitment to inspire and push people to reach beyond their personal barriers!

Free Fitness Tracking App & 1st $100 Donated to Athletes Fundraising Page

Since 2008 Bluefin Software have been developing apps for mobile devices that have helped new and experienced endurance athletes.  Their apps (Examples: Ease Into 5K, Bridge to 10K, Higdon 1/2 Marathon and Full Marathon Training, and Boot Camp) are more than just beautiful at their core, they’re designed around the fitness experiences of real people and supported by the latest knowledge in health and fitness, software design, and technology.

Bluefin Software have been a proud sponsor of Shawn’s Anomaly since 2012 and are looking forward to supporting the sponsored athletes along their journey of fulfilling their dreams.

Free Online Fundraising Webpage & Tips

Reason2Race provides you, athletes of all levels, the opportunity to enhance your race experience. We invite you to pick one event this season to be the one that challenges you to reach your next performance goal while making a difference in your local and global communities. If you are looking to take your event participation to a new level, choose Shawn's Anomaly as your Reason2Race, and experience how supporting others supports you in reaching and exceeding your athletic goals!

Shawn's Anomaly and Reason2Race eliminate the fundraising worries by not setting minimum standards on fundraising obligations that you are responsible for fulfilling if you don't reach you goal.  This approach gives you the greatest opportunity to not only meet, but exceed your fundraising and athletic goals while providing tips on how to maximise your communication with your supporters.

Free Video & Photo Collectors Package

Rugged Media Productions is experienced and creative in photography and the video production process. Based in Houston, RMP offers competitive video production costs to their clients. Whether your video production is a sporting event video, a corporate video, a commercial, or a family video, finished product is appealing and impacting to both their clients and their target audiences.

Becoming a marathoner or Ironman is a defining moment in your life that you want to live over and over again, and by providing you with high quality images and video of your training and event day experience will help you document your experience in the best way possible.

Finally, as a part of Team Shawn's Anomaly iDO! Fab 5 team, you will have the opportunity to train together in and around the Houston Area during supported swims, bike rides, and runs.  It is just our way of showing our appreciation for your commitment and to help with your successes.

Apply today to become a sponsored athlete through the Shawn's Anomaly iDO! Fab 5 Team & be a part of something special! 

Team Members Names will be announced on www.shawnsanomaly.org on February 15, 2013!*

*As a part of the sponsorship athletes are required to:

• Be signed up for event (1/2 marathon or greater running event or 1/2 Ironman or greater triathlon)
• Set up a Reason2Race fundraiser page with goal of $2,000.00**
• Provide a monthly training report email to supporters and sponsors
• Participate in a video interview for Team Shawn's Anomaly and provide Shawn's Anomaly with permission to use your name, photos, and videos for marketing and fundraising efforts. 
• Participate in at least one sponsor promotion if requested
• Volunteer in one iDO! Heath & Wellness event benefitting youth or beginning athletes

**Page has to be set up 90 days before race event.

National Birth Defect Prevention Month

Even though it is the last day, we wanted to send another reminder that January is National Birth Defects Prevention Month. This year Shawn's Anomaly is actively focusing on helping healthcare professionals and the general public to take positive steps to reduce the risk of congenital anomalies such as Congenital Heart Defects. Congenital heart defects are one of the most common types of birth defect and some forms may be preventable through healthy life style choices and medical interventions before and during pregnancy. In addition to information about prevention, the Shawn's Anomaly offers support to families who are dealing with the realities of a child born with one of these conditions.

Congenital heart defects include abnormalities of the heart that are present at birth. Some have only a minor and brief effect on a baby’s health and some have very serious and lifelong effects. Nearly 40,000 cases (approximately 1 in 110 live births) are reported annually in the US.  Public awareness, accurate diagnosis, and expert medical care are all essential for adequate prevention and management of these all too common and deadly conditions.

Studies have demonstrated several important steps women can take to help prevent congenital heart defects in newborns. Women who are pregnant or may become pregnant are advised to:

• Avoid all alcohol and illegal/recreational drugs.
• Avoid exposure to smoke, chemicals and toxins both at work and at home.
• Take a folic acid supplement and check with their healthcare provider to confirm that you are getting adequate amounts of all the essential nutrients.
• See a physician prior to pregnancy, especially if there are medical conditions which require medications, any known metabolic conditions including diabetes, obesity, phenyketonuria (PKU), or a family history of congenital heart defects.
• Receive regular medical check-ups and educate themselves about their family history and potential genetic risks
• Diabetic or obese women should make sure that blood sugar is under control and work toward a healthy weight through a nutritious food plan prior to conception.

If you or someone you know has a member of the their family that is affected by a congenital heart defect or any other congenital anomaly, please let them know about our mission to provide education, hope, and help to families affected by congenital anomalies.  No need is too great or too small.

If you would like to help us by supporting this mission please go to our website www.shawnsanomaly.org to donate or contact for volunteering opportunities.

Impact of parental ages and other characteristics at childbearing on congenital anomalies

Results for the Czech Republic, 2000-2007

If the impact of maternal age at childbearing on congenital anomalies is well-known for the occurrence of Down syndrome, less is known concerning its effects on other major anomalies. Information is even scarcer for the possible effects of other maternal characteristics and of age of the father...

http://www.demographic-research.org/volumes/vol28/5/default.htm

http://www.demographic-research.org/volumes/vol28/5/28-5.pdf

I Can...I Will...¡DO!

Have you ever had good intentions to make a positive change in your life, but you just never get around to actually doing it.  Rarely is it because of lack of inspiration or will.  It has to do with fulfillment and sustainability. Every goal has a reason and motivation behind it, but we sometimes have trouble applying the actions to achieve it. Instead of looking at the huge goal or mission as a whole, we must break down the journey into several smaller goals that are achievable on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis.  You just have to go from "I Can," and "I Will" to "I Do!"

The phrase "i Do!" was first used after the founder of Shawn's Anomaly, Matthew Murphy, completed his first Ironman triathlon in honor of his son's recovery from three surgeries to repair several congenital anomalies in a statement posted on his blog: 

"I DO" is such a simple phrase but it is so powerful in so many ways. It is powerful enough to confirm the commitment to marriage and powerful enough confirm truth in a court of law. We live in a world of I Can't and I Don't. Some of us get inspired enough to go from the "I Can't" to "I Can", but never get around to doing anything to make that phrase "I DO!" The 1% of the world that has finished an Ironman triathlon, understands the phrase better than most. They don't just not say there were going to do something, they do it. You don't have to finish an Ironman to use this phrase.  You can use it to follow through with any commitment whether to be to finish a race, lose a few pounds, volunteer to help the less fortunate, or just be a better person. I challenge you to change your life mantra to "I DO!  Take the pledge with me:

iDO better myself

iDO better those around me

iDO encourage others that say iDO

iDO help those that are less fortunate

iDO test my boundaries

Shawn's Anomaly's goals are a huge undertaking, but it can be accomplished if we apply this strategy to the ultimate mission: Education, Hope, & Help!

Mahatma Gandhi once said, "We must be the change we want to see in the world," but we can't do it alone.  It takes a collected effort from everyone focused on the same goal. Starting in 2013, we are asking all supporters of Shawn's Anomaly to take a pledge of "iDo!" The pledge is to give $5 to Shawn's Anomaly and share our mission with 5 people asking them to do the same on the 5th of every month for one year.  It is not a large individual commitment, but if we combine all the efforts together the change is HUGE!  At the end of the year you would have given $60 and 60 new people became aware of the mission just because of your commitment. Can you sacrifice $5 and 5 minutes a month to help us achieve the Shawn's Anomaly mission?

Take the one year pledge today by filling out the information below and hitting the "Subscribe!" button.  Don't do it just to help other's, but do it for yourself.  There is nothing to lose, but everything to gain. As appreciation to your commitment, Shawn's Anomaly will send you a reminder email every month and a commitment bracelet to wear proudly as a daily reminder and that shows your commitment to others. Can you take the pledge with us?

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Shawn's Anomaly Mission Towards Integrity

In the recent days we have all been witness to the tragic events that have taken place in Connecticut.  As parents and friends, we at Shawn's Anomaly have become way too familiar of how much tragedy can increase venerability of the families that are affected.  We want to send our condolences to those families that have suffered loss. 

Because some people moved give to reputable charities because it is their human nature, there are also predators and con artist that are so willing to take advantage of those who are willing to lend a helping hand. Here is a recent example of a con artist trying to profit from the Connecticut School Shooting as NBC's Jeff Rosen reports:

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

 http://todaynews.today.com/_news/2012/12/21/16051227-rossen-reports-scammers-try-to-exploit-connecticut-shooting?lite

Sadly this has even hit way to close to home with certain families that we have tried to support through Shawn's Anomaly in 2012.  When the family of Liam Lyon was mourning the loss of their "Little Lion", they were generous enough to allow all of those that were touched by Liam's journey to take part in the memorial service.  Shawn's Anomaly helped broadcast the memorial service online to thousands of homes online live, and we left a recording service up for others to watch that could not watch during the time of the service. Sadly, another predator used that service to take screen shots and solicit donations to the point that we were forced to take down the recording because it was upsetting the family.  The family also had other con artist profiting from the sale of shirts that the family gave to someone who said they would help raise money for and they they never received of the contributions.

During this time of giving and generosity, we felt that it was imperative to reiterate our commitment to integrity and transparency of Shawn's Anomaly.  100% of all donations that are given through our partners Ironman Foundation & Reason2Race are given directly to the Shawn's Anomaly Research Fund that is set up with Texas Children's Hospital to aid with the advancement of medical research and the standardization of an international birth defect registry.  Any Indiegogo pages that are set up by myself, Matthew Murphy, or other verified representatives of Shawn's Anomaly, will from this point will always be fixed funding campaigns that will provide reimbursement back to the original donor if the goals are not met.  An example of this type of campaign is the 2013 Pratt Pack Family Campaign.

We also want to reiterate that we do not push any type of religious agenda.  Congenital anomalies don't see a difference of religion, denomination, creed, color, or origin, they affect everyone without prejudice.  Even though most of the leaders are Christian, Shawn's Anomaly does not have any any religious or political affiliations in efforts to avoid not being able to help all deserving families. 

We understand the skepticism that you may have regarding non-profit organizations, and Shawn's Anomaly will do everything we can to provide you with adequate evidence that our mission is not to profit from your giving.  You have our promise that our mission is help those families are affected by the 1 in 30 children born with congenital anomalies and change how the world views the leading cause of infant deaths.

Happy holidays from all of us at Shawn's Anomaly to all of you!

Article Defining Congenital Anomalies

A congenital anomaly may be viewed as a physical, metabolic, or anatomic deviation from the normal pattern of development that is apparent at birth or detected during the first year of life... More>>

Initial Research Shows Possible link to Excessive Intake of Vitamin A to Congenital Anomalies

...a variety of gross congenital anomalies are produced which include: encephaly, eye malformations, cleft palate, shortening of the mandible and maxilla, spina bifida with meningocele and hydrocephalus... See More>>