Ironman Triathlon Florida
"Standing on the sand in Panama City Beach, I was thinking how the same feelings I was experiencing at the start of this epic journey were the same ones Karen would have felt had she been the one standing here. I did the Ironman race that my sister had signed up for and couldn’t complete. Karen was with me every minute of the 13 hours and 41 minutes from start to finish. It was a great way to kick off this fundraising for her legacy fund and a way to pay tribute to her spirit of giving to recognize times she used endurance sports to raise money for Cancer research."
- Tim Raphael
On November 7, 2009, Karen Hays' brother, Tim Raphael competed in the
Ironman Triathlon Florida
in her memory and to inspire those who knew Karen and those who didn't to contribute to the Karen Hays Oncology Commemorative Fund. Karen signed up to compete in this race to fulfill a dream she had to complete an Ironman Distance Triathlon. She had registered in two other Ironman Triathlons but both times had to withdraw before the finish. However, this didn't discourage her. Her determination led her to sign up for the Ironman Triathlon in Florida where she felt the course would be more suited for her and where she would be able to finally complete the race.
