The Nelson Daily hopes people jump on the Steve Archdekin bandwagon by purchasing T-shirts before Friday
By The Nelson Daily Sports
It seems Steve Archdekin is going faster backwards than forwards.
Which is why The Nelson Daily jumped on the Archdekin bandwagon to help the Beasley resident achieve his goal of running a race for a dying friend.
“I need to sell another 18 shirts before Friday to pay for my gas (to Spokane and back), hotel, food, airport parking and transit in both cities (Portland and Las Vegas),” said Archdekin Tuesday.
Archdekin, who labours daily with two forms of arthritis — Reiter’s syndrome and Ankylosing spondylitis — is off to compete in the Las Vegas Rock ‘n‘ Roll Marathon Series Sunday night in the Nevada City.
He needs to sell 30 T-shirts with his International Triathlon for Kids charity logo on the front to cover costs for the Vegas trip.
The Nelson Daily purchased five shirts at a cost of $100 and will donate the shirts to a local elementary school.
Anyone wishing to purchase a shirt can do so at Abacus Beads on Kootenay Street or by emailing Archdekin at pure.tri.spirit@gmail.com
This cost is $20 each for adults and $15 each for kids — sizes are small, medium, large and others upon request.
In September of 1993 Archdekin came down with what he thought was a case of the common cold.
Little did the Brampton, Ont., native know was this common cold turned Reiter’s Syndrome and Ankylosing spondylitis.
Despite all the pain Archdekin experiences simply walking down the street, he refuses to give up his athletic nature and competes in as many triathlons as he possibly can — including the Nelson Cyswog’n Fun seven times.
He’s also started a charity in 2009 called International Triathlon for Kids, where Archdekin plans to swim, ride my bike, and run around Canada, USA (including Hawaii), Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and parts of Europe to raise funds and awareness for the children’s charities.
But the diseases put a hold on his competitive career until this year when he decided to compete in the Portland Half Marathon.
Then after rekindling ties with a friend Archdekin met at a hospital in Mexico in 2002, he added the Las Vegas race at the request of her dying sister.
“My friend Cathy said she is losing faith in the cancer fight and wanted to support me because she likes what (my charity) brings to the world,” Archdekin explained.
After the Vegas race Archdekin plans to stop in Portland to pitch Adidas on a television commercial featuring the Beasley runner.
It’s his hope the commercial would make an impression on potential sponsors for his International Triathlon for Kids charity.
But Archdekin can only begin to start the wheels in motion if people join The Nelson Daily and purchase T-shirts.
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