On November 23, 2008 I will take on Ironman Arizona. Swimming 2.4 miles, cycling 112 and then running 26.2 miles is nothing compared to the challenges those battling any type of vasculitis must endure. My little sister Alison was diagnosed with Wegener’s granulomatosis in December 1997. We were told the outlook was grim. However, due to a relatively early diagnosis and the funding our family was provided, Ally was able to receive leading-edge treatment at the NIH. Today, Ally is in remission and is about to enter her final year of college. Others are not always as fortunate… I’ve never attempted an athletic endeavor of this magnitude before, but I am ready to see what I’m capable of. I enter this journey with the knowledge that it will not be easy; there will be pain and there will be struggle, but the challenge of an Ironman pales in comparison to the suffering those with vasculitis must endure—this I know for sure. When the pain is getting the best of me and I just want to quit, I’ll remember that I am racing ONE DAY for all those just like Ally with vasculitis disorders that are racing for LIFE. I look forward to racing in November in support of the foundation and ultimately finding a cure. To get what we've never had, we must do what we've never done! People with vasculitis don’t get to stop fighting so I won’t stop either …Ironman Arizona…here I come. Mary Haney

Mary trainingMary at her wedding with Alison as her maid of honorMary and Alison in Ireland