Competing for a Cause

A triathlete joins Team Samaritan’s Purse to raise funds for a hospital in Kenya

Preston Files is in training for the most difficult athletic challenge of his life: the Lake Placid Ironman competition on July 26.

“A lot of people know it’s crazy, but they don’t know how crazy it is,” said Preston, a 27-year-old marketing professional who lives in Houston.

Preston is training for the Lake Placid Ironman in July.The merciless triathlon starts with a 2.4-mile swim, transitions into a 112-mile bike race, and ends with a marathon, a 26.2-mile run.

The race will be grueling, but Preston is doing it for a good cause.

“As part of the Ironman, I am raising funds for Samaritan's Purse,” Preston said. “The money will go toward helping my brother. He is working at a hospital in Kijabe, Kenya, through World Medical Mission (the medical arm of Samaritan’s Purse) to help set up a management information system at the hospital.”

Preston’s brother, Alan, has been in Kenya since May, working on the management system.

“After I graduated from college, I wanted to use my computer science degree to help people directly,” Alan said. “So I started looking into working with medical systems for the developing world. I feel it's been really miraculous how I ended up in Kijabe.”

Alan learned about the need at Kijabe Hospital through a group of people in his church in Westerville, Ohio, that sponsor one of the hospital’s AIDS outpatient clinics.

“My church sent a team to Kenya, and while they were there, they heard about the need for a software systems programmer,” Alan said.

Before he knew it, Alan was in Kenya, serving at the mission hospital, and his brother was running triathlons to help support his efforts.

A growing number of athletes like Preston Files are raising funds for Samaritan’s Purse through marathons, cycling, golf tournaments, triathlons, and other events as members of Team Samaritan’s Purse. The funds raised can be designated to Samaritan’s Purse projects around the world.

“I love running for a cause,” Preston said. “I think it helps keep the pain in check. And there is something about people giving money as a response to your efforts in a race that makes you think, ‘Wait a minute. Not only am I really about to do this, but I have to finish.’”

Get Involved

Team Samaritan's Purse is made up of people who want to do something creative to help raise funds and awareness for our projects around the world. Whether you run a marathon or organize a garage sale, you can turn any event into an opportunity to help others through Samaritan’s Purse. Click here for more information.

Samaritan's Purse , Ways to Help , Competing for a Cause