Why, you ask?
Is it just too doggone hot in July? (Nahhh.)
Am I burned out from an already long season? (Maybe a little, but still no.)
It's because — like I said in my bio — there are more important things in my life than racing. In the middle of every summer, my wife and I go down to the Dominican Republic to visit friends in need. We partner with our dear friend Luis Vargas to serve in a few different communities. Each year, we help with some ongoing construction projects, serve in a few different feeding centers for children, and provide a medical clinic for over 800 people (the doctors on our team, not me, thank goodness).
Here's a quick video about the trip, and you can visit our fundraising page for more info on how, why, and where we serve our friends.
Dominican Republic 2011 Highlights from Phillip McArdle on Vimeo.
Emily used to work for International Justice Mission (IJM) when we lived in DC. While she still misses working there, we are proud to continue to support their courageous efforts to save victims of oppression, slavery, and sexual exploitation. The work IJM does is something we will continue to support the rest of our lives.