What does peanut butter have to do with muscular dystrophy? Before Ty Ballou came along, nothing. Enter BallouSkies (pronounced “bah-lue skies”), a registered charity and triathlon team dedicated to raising research funds for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). Founder Ty Ballou’s son Ryan was diagnosed at age 5. As an avid triathlete, Ballous’s goal in founding BallouSkies was to “bring the triathlete community around the cause” by appealing to something common to all triathletes: their appetite. Ballou launched an all-natural, rich-tasting peanut butter whose total profits go toward finding a cure for DMD, bringing new hope to a life-threatening condition.

DMD is a severe recessive X-linked type of muscular dystrophy identified with rapid and widespread muscle degeneration eventually leading to pain, loss in mobility, and death. Symptoms can be visible in early infancy, although in male children usually appear before age 6. For patients affected by DMD, the average life expectancy ranges from the early teens to the mid-30s.

“Ryan has demonstrated an unparalleled amount of resilience and strength.”

BallouSkies aims to raise funds to map the hearts of those affected by DMD.  Since the disease weakens all muscles, patients’ hearts will fail without a cure. The funds raised by BallouSkies ($27,000 in 2010, $50,000 goal for 2011) have aided The Ohio State University Medical Center in finding ways to help boys with DMD live longer, healthier and more enjoyable lives. The team at OSU has been able to better diagnose several dozen patients with refined methods of finding heart muscle disease. In addition to this, they have been able to start many patients on existing medications used to protect the heart from further damage.

Despite this progress, there is still an arduous road ahead in the journey toward the cure. The BallouSkies Triathlon team is working tirelessly raising funds and racing in their distinctive blue and white BallouSkies colors to help in this journey.

To purchase, visit www.ballouskies.com

“Whenever I’m racing, I along with the other members of the BallouSkies team do everything we can to spread awareness about BallouSkies and DMD,” says Jeremy Cornman, a BallouSkies triathlon team member for two years who first raced under the organization at the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii in 2009. Through the support of his family, BallouSkies, and OSU’s research team, Ryan Ballou has developed into a successful, positive adult. At 22 years old, Ryan is currently employed and working toward a college degree. Despite being diagnosed at such a young age, Ryan has demonstrated an unparalleled amount of resilience and strength. “He never complains. Ryan has shown the ability to conquer any obstacle set before him, and he continues to share his story with the community,” says his father. The emotion and passion in Ty Ballou’s voice demonstrates how much his son—and the organization—mean to him.

Through Cornman and the other members of the team, the triathlon community has rallied around the cause. “From top to bottom, everyone involved with BallouSkies are quality individuals and selfless people. My life has been enriched so much more since my involvement with the organization and getting to know Ty and Ryan,” says Cornman. BallouSkies has grown so much that they sold 50,000 jars of peanut butter in their first year with the product. Ty and Ryan Ballou, Cornman, and the other members of the team are amazed at the astounding growth they have witnessed in BallouSkies in the past few years. Through many new triathletes joining the cause and generous donations, BallouSkies members are confident that when it comes to what they can accomplish, the blue sky really is the only limit.

To find out more about BallouSkies, donate, or purchase their all-natural peanut butter, visit BallouSkies.com.

Main Photo: The BallouSkies Triathlon Team. (Pictured: Joe Vallese, Beth Shutt, Matt Mauclair, Jeremy Cornman, Ty Ballou, Ryan Ballou [seated], Chad Holderbaum, Jason Jacobs, Kevin Srigley, Kim Schwabenbauer, Steve Filauri and Jocelyn Cornman. Not pictured: Troy Shannan, Sally Baldwin)

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Caitlin Begg is a junior at Glen Rock High School in New Jersey, and has been a triathlete for seven years. At 14, she was the youngest female in the country to complete a half ironman-distance triathlon (Rev3 Quassy). She is the founder of YoungTri (formerly the National High School Triathlon Association) and she reports for LAVA on the state of the sport amoung some of its youngest members. When she’s not training for triathlons or writing, Caitlin enjoys going to the beach and being with her friends and family. Find her on Twitter at @CaitlinBegg.