My name is Eric Potter from Huntsville, Alabama and I have become so passionate about my favorite charity that I have decided to race in an Ironman Triathlon (140.6 miles) to raise money and awareness of the great cause that they are working towards.

My favorite charity is the Dwarf Athletic Association of America (DAAA).  I became passionate about this charity shortly after my son, Brett, was born 5 ½ years ago and diagnosed with a form of Dwarfism.  I didn’t know anything about Dwarfism, so I quickly did my research on what that means and the biggest surprise that I had was that his adult height would be around 4 feet tall.  I quickly joined every forum that I could find that talked about this subject and was heavily encouraged by other parents who were under similar circumstances that my son would grow up to be a normal person, he would just be different in the height element. 

I was always blessed to have reasonable athletic ability and was very successful in sports as I grew up.  I believe that a good portion of the success that I have had is due to the lessons that I learned through sports.  Lessons like sportsmanship, competitiveness, hard work and many other qualities were drilled into me by great coaches and team mates that I have had the fortune to be associated with.  Like every parent, I want the same thing for my children, but the first thought that ran through my head was that my son is only going to be 4 feet tall, so I should just go ahead and give up on the lessons from sports that I felt got me to where I am today.

As I was learning about the community of those who are little people and those who are affected by dwarfism, I learned that there is an organization (DAAA) that brings together short statured children and adults to a national conference every year and allows them to compete in sports that they would not be competitive in the world as the rest of us know it.  This organization gives them the opportunity to participate in basketball, soccer, track and field, football, volleyball, badminton, boccia and swimming.  They are also preparing to host the World Dwarf Games in Michigan in 2013, which will bring Little People from around the world together to compete in these sports.  It is a very exciting opportunity and we all look forward to that event.

I am trying to get the word out for this event and give those who are touched by this organization and the great events that they are working towards.  I am also giving the opportunity for those who are interested in helping a little more an opportunity to make a tax-deductible donation to this cause.  I have set this up so that the money will go straight to the charity and take me out of the middle, so if you don’t know me and are worried about the money, it will go straight to the charity.

For a little about the event I am working towards, my goal race is Ironman Florida, in Panama City, FL on November 3, 2012.  The event covers 140.6 miles, which consists of a 2.4 mile swim, followed by a 112 mile bike and concluded with a 26.2 mile run.  The pros finish these in around 8 hours, but I will be nowhere close to that.  I am shooting for 12-13 hours.  I have never done anything of this magnitude in the past, and I know it is going to be hard work over the next year.  I am willing to go all out and reach for the goal that not many people have accomplished to bring awareness for this great cause that I am passionate about.

Please visit my blog for updated information on my training and progress. A link to my blog can be found here:

http://littleironmantraining.blogspot.com

Eric Potter
Huntsville, Alabama

To learn more about the upcoming 2013 World Dwarf Games, the largest sporting event in history exclusively for athletes with dwarfism, check out our webpage at www.2013worlddwarfgames.org.