Moshe Franklin to Compete in Triathlon Competition, Raising Support for Chai Lifeline

By day he is a mild mannered financial analyst, quietly crunching numbers in a nondescript office building. To his co-workers, Moshe Franklin is just another well dressed, young banker, who calmly calculates price-to-earnings ratios and nominal interest rates. His secret is well guarded from all by day; but at night the 24-year-old Lander College graduate has been training for the most difficult competition in all of sports-the triathlon. On Sunday, September 13, 2009, he will compete in the Olympic distance, Mighty Hamptons Triathlon.

A triathlon, the gold standard of endurance events, consists of swimming, cycling, and running in immediate succession over extended distances. The Mighty Hamptons Triathlon begins at 6:40 AM with a 1.5 (.93 mile) swim in the 60 degree waters of Noyac Bay. Then, athletes must bike 38 kilometer (23.8 miles) across Sag Harbor, Long Island. The event ends with a 10 kilometer (6.2 miles) run to the finish line. Qualifying racers are invited to join the U.S. Olympic Team.

Moshe Franklin intends to raise awareness and support for Chai Lifeline through his race. Chai Lifeline, an organization best known for its two summer camps-Camp Simcha and Camp Simcha Special, that serve Jewish children suffering from pediatric illness-offers 24 year-round programs designed for everyone affected by the child’s disease. “I have seen how much Chai Lifeline does,” says Franklin, “not just for the children, but for their families, friends, and communities.” He maintains an eponymous fundraising website at www.moshefranklin.com. The website is hosted for free by GoMitzvah.org.

While in excellent shape, competing in the triathlon will not be easy. “This is my first ultra competitive event,” states Franklin. “I haven’t really competed since my yeshiva days, playing for the Derech Etz Chaim football team in Israel. I want to prove that if you set your mind to accomplish something you can do it.”

The St. Louis Missouri native, now residing in Kew Gardens Hills, has been training for 19 weeks. His regiment begins at 5:00 AM with cycling practice and laps in the pool; and ends late in the evening with progressively longer runs. During the day, Franklin specializes in mergers and acquisitions at the Sterling Asset Management Group, based on Park Avenue, New York. “My company has been very accommodating,” says Franklin. “I couldn’t have trained without their support.”

Franklin is one of a growing number of athletes utilizing the Go Mitzvah program to support Jewish children’s charities. The program allows users to build free, personalized, fundraising websites at www.gomitzvah.org. “We originally created the GoMitzvah.org website for children who wanted to do a bar or bat mitzvah project for Chai Lifeline,” said Yoel Margolese, co-founder of the Go Mitzvah program. “Recently, more and more adults have approached us asking if they could join the program in conjunction with an athletic event.” Go Mitzvah has since retooled its website to accommodate participants of all ages. A next generation website with clearly defined b’nai mitzvah and adult divisions is scheduled for release in October.

Moshe Franklin hopes to complete the Mighty Hamptons triathlon in 3 hours and 18 minutes. If successful, he may qualify for the Ironman; the world’s most competitive triathlon event, held annually in Hawaii. Supporters, friends and well-wishers may  visit his website at www.moshefranklin.com.

{Noam Amdurski-Matzav.com Newscenter}