Former MLB player raises money for phys-ed with 3,500 mile triathlon

<p>A former professional baseball player completed a cross country triathlon in the Bronx Sunday.&nbsp;</p>

News 12 Staff

Sep 16, 2018, 10:40 PM

Updated 2,060 days ago

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A former professional baseball player completed a cross country triathlon in the Bronx Sunday.
Eric Byrnes started his 57-day journey with a swim from San Francisco to Oakland. He then biked from Oakland to Chicago.
He completed the triathlon by running from Chicago all the way to the Bronx.
"It was one of the most difficult and rewarding things that I've ever done in by life," Byrnes said.
The former Major Leaguer finished his 3,500 mile journey with a victory lap right next to Yankee Stadium. He plays for the Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners, Arizona Diamondbacks, Batlimore Orioles and Colorado Rockies.
Byrnes' goal in the triathlon was to raise awareness about the lack of youth physical education across the nation.
"A lot of the underprivileged communities are the ones getting hit by the lack of youth activity because it costs money to play sports," Byrnes said.
Byrnes even started a foundation called "Let Them Play" to raise nearly $50,000 in grants for youth fitness programs. He delivered checks throughout his triathlon.


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