THEO Bierman will be racing for the Paige Project in the Standard Bank IRONMAN African Championship 2018.
The birth of The Paige Project was inspired by the birth of James Barson’s daughter, Paige Morgan Barson, in 2006.
Paige was born with cerebral palsy which left her with moderate to severe brain damage and blindness.
In 2007, David Barson (Paige’s uncle) organised an event to raise funds in the hopes of purchasing an orthopedic chair to assist and support Paige’s spinal structure. This led to the creation of The Paige Project.
The Paige Project is a charity organisation that raises funds for children with mental and physical disabilities, primarily caused by cerebral palsy.
Brothers David and James Barson are two of the members of The Paige Project. Theo Bierman and Grant Nock complete the four-member team.
Theo Bierman is new to IRONMAN, having completed his first Standard Bank Ironman 70.3 Durban in 2017 and then moving onto the Standard Bank IRONMAN 70.3 South Africa in East London earlier this year. He will be competing in his first full distance IRONMAN this year – the Standard Bank IRONMAN African Championship 2018 and says, “I plan on finishing this year in Durban again.”
Having followed a full training program in preparation for the 2018 Standard Bank IRONMAN African Championship, Bierman is feeling very excited and is “diving in head first, literally.”
“Both Dave and I plan on concentrating on the full distance IRONMAN only,” said Bierman, adding that “Depending how each year goes, we may add to these.”
While he hopes to meet his personal goals in terms of finishing time, Bierman noted, “The Paige Project’s hopes and goals are far more important than my personal achievements and I’m hoping to raise awareness and make a difference in the world of cerebral palsy.”
Gathering as many supporters and fellow athletes as possible to wear their Paige Project triathlon and cycling gear, the members of The Paige Project have been able to raise many funds and a much-needed awareness in the world of cerebral palsy. – KATE WEBBER
