And In This Corner, Cancer.

Kira asked me to write this, so here goes: We feel it appropriate to let the OBRA community know of another medical fight on our hands in the Ironclad camp. Women’s team captain Kira Crawford has been diagnosed with breast cancer. The initial treatment will involve a double mastectomy this Wednesday followed by a course of treatment yet undetermined. You see, we just don’t know the extent of what we’re up against just yet. We do know the surgery takes place this Wednesday and at best case will be a year long fight.

We’ve loaded our hearts with enough kickass to help her through this troubling time. Her husband Mark and daughters Macy and Addison are also ready to bare their teeth and enter the fray.

After much discussion we have determined that cancer must have lost a step to pick such a foe. Perhaps cancer didn’t do its homework or has Kira confused with someone else, because it’s about to walk into a Crawford buzzsaw and get the ever loving crap kicked out of it. Maybe it’s drunk? Maybe it has beer muscles? Anyone who knows Kira knows she’s tough as nails and pretty much eats buildings and craps tanks, so we’re thinking while this one may or may not go the distance, there will be no split decisions. Kira is going to beat the absolute shit out of cancer, full on KO, and we ask you to join us in the rally cry of “F%$k Cancer”.

We’ve gone from one  tough week  to another with a completely different set of guidelines. Kristin’s injury was sudden and horrific and required the “sprint” mindset and now Kira’s status is a more long term, sinister “stage race” kind of tempo to it. So that’s just what we’re going to do. We’re going to set tempo at the front and pull like hell as long as she needs us to, and you’re all welcome to take a turn.

If you like, you can follow the story from the horses mouth by adding Kira Peters Crawford as a friend on Facebook.

In another showing of team solidarity, we will be wearing pink armbands on Wednesday’s Tabor race, so if you feel inclined to support in that fashion, stop by our camp to pick up your pink ribbon or pink tape. We usually post up right across from the parking lot where the riders start.

Wednesday begins a long hard fight. There will be battles won and lost along the way, but the winning the war is the important part. We’ll quietly keep you updated on Kira’s progress as we help her along the way.

And through all of it, we race. We race because it’s what we do. We race because those of us who have temporarily fallen want us to, as we would wish unto them if the situation reversed itself.  Thank you for your continued support.

Kira surrounded by her team as she will be throughout the fight. The boys in the back have a special message for cancer.