August 25, 2017

by: Beth Lucas

Reflections on ten years of Team UCP at the Cleveland Triathlon

When I started with UCP close to ten years ago and learned that the agency had formed ‘Team UCP’ as the Official Charity of the Cleveland Triathlon, I had never even thought of the word triathlon. It was a sporting event that I knew nothing about, and quite honestly had never had any interest in learning about. Of course, as the new Director of Development for UCP, this had to change immediately. So, I jumped in and started to figure things out. I never imagined the impact that this event and the people involved would have on my life.

If you don’t know anything about Team UCP, it is difficult to describe in words. It is more than a group of people getting together to swim, bike and run on a Sunday morning. It is more than a fundraising initiative. It is more than a bunch of cute kids getting pushed in strollers by their parents throughout downtown Cleveland. It is all of that – and a million other things. It is the perfect example of overcoming obstacles in the face of adversity. It is a way to show the world that anything is possible when you work together. It is a chance for children with disabilities and their families to be a part of something that showcases their ability and determination – something they do every day, but that no one really sees. Watching parents compete in a multi-sport event while pulling their children in rafts, biking with them in tow and crossing the finish line after the run is truly amazing and incredibly inspiring. Throughout ten Cleveland Triathlons, I watched children grow leaps and bounds, and witnessed some of them progress to walking across that timing mat independently.

What began with about 60 racers from a handful of families grew into a movement that included extended family, friends, neighbors, co-workers and even complete strangers. In the height of Team UCP, over 500 racers were a part of this experience and a sea of UCP colored shirts overtook North Coast Harbor. Athletes who were not a part of the Team UCP group welcomed our racers and encouraged them every step of the way on the course. Our volunteers did some heavy lifting on race day, but most importantly were there to support the families and cheer on all the racers.  The volunteers were also incredibly dedicated, showing up year after year.

I worked extremely closely with the families as they trained, held fundraisers, recruited volunteers and helped to build awareness through media presence and grassroots efforts. The hours were long. There were hundreds of emails a day, countless boxes of t-shirts and thousands of thank you letters to send out. I knew the race course like the back of my hand, and I obtained more knowledge of triathlons than I ever thought possible. And I loved every single minute of it. Having the opportunity to work with these families has been the greatest privilege of my life. I learned patience, resilience, humility and teamwork. I literally was, as our tagline says, ‘inspired to tri.’ I got out on the race course with them and participated as a racer, which allowed me to watch them compete from a whole new vantage point. It was very cool.

I’ve since moved on to another role at the agency. My involvement became more ancillary. I was at the race, but didn’t have the same opportunity to work with everyone leading up to the big event. That was the thing I missed most about leading the development team.

This was the last year of UCP’s involvement as the Official Charity of the Cleveland Triathlon. It was time to move onto something new for the agency, but it is bittersweet. For me. For our employees. And especially for the families. But it was a great run. We raised over $1M. The awareness built is immeasurable. We did it as a team. And I was lucky to be a small piece of the puzzle.

Beth Lucas, Chief Operations Officer

UCP would like to thank all of the families, racers, volunteers, board members and UCP employees who participated in the Cleveland Triathlon as a part of Team UCP. 

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