I decided to create this page because I know how hard it is to keep inspired and motivated when you are feeling tired and wanting to quit. I personally had many challenging late nights at the gym when I was training to become the first dialysis patient to ever compete in and complete an Ironman.

This page contains Inspirational Messages written by athletes, coaches, personal trainers, and others who believe in the power of physical fitness and athletics. I asked these individuals to become part of the team by helping me to motivate and provide inspiration to the patients we serve. These messages were written by them specifically for you.

As a team we believe in your fitness goal and support you in your pursuit of the finish line!

Athlete Messages | Celebrity Messages

Athletes Messages

	Lou Nanne | Lisa Bentley | Jared Berg | Scott Brandon | Dan Cohen
	Lou Nanne
	Lou Nanne - Legendary North Stars Hockey Player • NHL Stats: 1967-1978 with the Minnesota North Stars, compiling 635 games, 68 Goals, 157 Assists, for a total of 225 points, and 356 Penalty minutes • Started his Minnesota hockey career when he moved to Minnesota in 1959, while at the University of Minnesota where he played from 1959-1963; In his senior year he was named an All-American; he also was the only defenceman to ever win the WCHA Scoring Title • Prior to that he lived in Sault Ste Marie, Ontario where he played minor hockey with legendary players such as the Esposito brothers (Phil and Tony) • In 1968, he captained the US Olympic Team in Grenoble, France • In 1976, he captained Team USA at the World Championships in Poland and was the Alternate Captain for Team USA at the Canada Cup • In 1977, he captained Team USA at the World Championships in Vienna, Austria; that same year for the 1977-78 NHL season, he went from player to coach/GM • The following year, he gave up the coaching duties (coached 29 games in the 1977-78 season), and focused solely on his GM duties; he stayed in that role until 1988 • In 1989 he received the Lester Patrick Award for his career long contributions to the advancement of hockey in the United States • When he became GM, that first season the North Stars were last in the NHL; by 1981 he helped bring the team to it’s first Stanley Cup Finals appearance in franchise history • In 1981 he was also the GM for Team USA at the Canada Cup, a role he also took on in 1984, 1987, and once more in 1994 for the IIHF (International Ice Hockey Federation) World Championships • In 1988 he then became President of the Minnesota North Stars and remained in that role until 1990 • At a time when the NHL was growing, he helped lead negotiations with the WHA that brought four new teams to the NHL •He has been the Chairman of the General Managers Committee and served as an alternate on the NHL Board of Governors • He was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 1998 • In 2004, he was inducted into the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Hall of Fame • Lou currently works in Minneapolis for Dain Rauscher as a National Sales Manager Words from Lou Nanne: I have had the good fortune of many great experiences in various roles in the NHL as well as International hockey. For over 30+ years it has been a wonderful journey for me. People should be mindful that the obstacles and challenges coming their way can be overcome by believing in themselves. Team Ireland and The Shad Ireland Foundation are providing those of you with kidney disease an opportunity to realize what you can accomplish. By taking to heart the message they bring to you, these obstacles and challenges will start to diminish and eventually disappear. The disease may remain with you, but your chance to live a normal and regular life will as well. Believe in yourself and what’s possible for you in the future. Physical fitness, positive attitude, and education are important to you every day, and can help you achieve your goal. And as Shad and Team Ireland always say…. NO LIMITATIONS. ONLY INSPIRATION. All the best top of page
	Lisa Bentley
	Ironman Champion - 2000 & 2001 Ironman New Zealand cover of Inside Triathlon magazine, May 2000. 3rd - 1999 Ironman New Zealand in 9:27:43 with the fastest marathon - 3:01:58. 1999 Ironman Hawaii personal best of 9:46:40 Ranked 6th in the 2000 World Long Distance Rankings on Triathlon Digest. 5th in the 1998 I.T.U. World Long Course Championships. 2nd fastest Ironman debut (9:29:45 - Ironman Canada 1997) in history. 2nd to Natascha Badmann. 9th in the 1997 Hawaii Ironman World Championships in her first attempt at the Hawaii Ironman. Winning the Strongman Japan Triathlon; 3 km swim, 155 km bike and 42 km run. broke the course record by 19 minutes fastest bike split and fastest run split won the race again in 1998. Women's 1996 National Duathlon Team, including Lisa, won the bronze medal at the World Duathlon Championships. Represented Canada at the Pan American Games , Argentina, 1995 - placed 7th - Canadian women's team won gold top of page
	Jared Berg
	We were discussing endurance events in a graduate level exercise physiology class. I was 21, finishing up my undergraduate degree and just beginning to train for triathlons. I can remember spouting out my endurance goals about how I wanted to qualify for the Hawaii Ironman in two years. An apparently knowledgeable graduate student in her min-30’s across the table from me said that her and her husband do a lot of triathlons and that there is no way I could ever qualify for Hawaii Ironman unless I was a collegiate swimmer or runner or an elite cyclist. That was enough to take the wind out of my sail for I was none of the three and she seamed to know what she was talking about. However that didn’t stop me from training with all my heart. My training that first summer would often consist of biking 20 miles to work and then at noon I would race 25miles to my 2nd job and then bike back for the late shift at my first job and then bike home. I would get 90miles in on those days and then follow it up with a 30min run. A year later after countless hours of training including 6000meter swim workouts, 130 mile bike rides, 20-mile runs, along with other extreme training efforts and some overall triathlon victories, I qualified for IM Hawaii. My closing thought: If you want to make dreams a reality, get started immediately, do what it takes and nothing less! Some info on my evolution into an endurance athlete and a coach: I began coaching triathletes even before I was an experienced triathlete himself. Golf, soccer, and weight lifting were my first sporting interests. As a teenager, if my mom asked me to go for a run, I would reply “why run if no one is chasing me?” As a slightly chubby kid, I swam from the diving board to the pool’s edge, ran after soccer balls, and biked to my caddie job. I never competed in any of the three triathlon events formally until deep into my Kinesiology Studies at the University of Minnesota. Learning how to swim, bike and run as an adult has turned out to be an asset to my coaching because it allows me to coach from a beginner triathlete’s perspective as well as an elite triathlete’s point of view. Using exercise physiology principals studied at the University of Minnesota, I guided both an Olympic distance triathlete and an Ironman athlete through a successful season while competing in my first year as a triathlete myself. During this same year I created and coached a 50-person marathon training club. Realizing my aspiration to coach and potential as a triathlete, I pursued a future revolving around my new found passion. During my second triathlon season I successfully coached over 20 triathletes, won some local races, qualified for and raced Ironman World Championship Hawaii. I continued on as a student, teacher and ambassador of triathlon through the last nine years. I slowly increased my coaching client base, conducted triathlon camps and clinics, instructed triathlon training groups and trained with experienced athletes and coaches. In addition I worked in sports medicine facilities, coached Nordic skiing and now race as a professional triathlete and elite Nordic skier. I believe that we all have something amazing to offer our world and I thank you for your gifts! top of page
	Scott Brandon
	Hey everybody, my name is Scott Brandon and I’ve decided to help Shad in his quest to prove to you all that having a disability of any kind shouldn’t stop you from pursuing, and having, a normal life. In September of 2002, I was thrown off a ladder I was coming down, after a large tree branch I had been cutting, crashed to the ground, bounced back up and hit me in the side of the head. I landed on my back because I couldn’t turn around quick enough to break my fall. The result was a severe spinal chord injury, causing paralysis from the belt line down, forcing me to carry on my everyday life in a wheelchair. For many people, that could have meant the beginning of a difficult and miserable life, for some, maybe worse thoughts than that. But at 34 years old at the time, I simply refused to let what happened deter me in any way, from leading what I believed could still BE a normal life. So I made some adjustments to my thoughts and my surroundings and as a result my attitude about life has changed, and now at 36, I think I’ve become an even better man than I was before. I have always had a passion for hockey, however my injury meant I couldn’t play with all the able bodied men I used to. Eventually, I was introduced to the game of Sled Hockey, and found out quickly that my love and passion for the game didn’t have to stop simply because I was in a wheelchair. I learned the game and learned it well enough to begin playing in a pretty serious Sled Hockey league, travelling through the US to play. Now I’m in the midst of training camps to become one of the goalies for the US Men’s Sled Hockey team that will be going to the 2006 Paralympic Games in Torino, Italy. The adversity I’ve had to face, and the positive attitude, and serious training and dedication I’ve given, has afforded me this chance. And it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity that I am thrilled to have. A big part of the reason I am in this position with the Sled team, is because of my constant belief that fitness and a positive attitude keep us healthy, strong and mentally ready to tackle almost anything. While I can’t say I understand exactly what you all go through as dialysis patients, I can let you know that I DO understand what it is like to live life with a disability. I know what it’s like to not only live with it, but to enjoy life with it, love it, love who I am, and fight through any obstacle that gets in my way. What Shad is doing is giving you a chance to improve the quality of your life by becoming fit, gaining strength, energy, and a positive attitude. It’s hard not to want to after you’ve talked to him and begin to understand what it could mean for you. If you ever become a grant recipient through this great foundation, make the most of your chance and gain as much from it as you can. You can see how Shad’s life has become something special, and he has used the adversity he has faced to his advantage. So have I… and so can YOU! I got an email once from someone trying to motivate me. It had a quote from a man named William Arthur Wand in it and it said: “If you can imagine it, you can achieve it. If you can dream it, you can become it” Let that be your guide to living the kind of life you want to live! Good luck!! top of page
	Dan Cohen
	Sports provide us with the opportunity to express ourselves in unique ways. They provide an avenue for mental, physical, and spiritual growth. Personally, triathlon has given me a chance to prove (to myself) that I can accomplish anything. I do what I do because it helps solidify who I am as a human being. Life is full of challenges, some big and some small. Being able to hurdle over those obstacles to achieve what your heart desires is beautiful. Without attempt, there can be no glory!!! Dan cohen top of page
	Celebrity
	Coming Soon! top of page