KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Late in 2019, local businesswoman Amy Gibson started to think about the upcoming 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment that would happen the following year. She began putting a plan in motion to get the voices of women heard.
That plan helped start the "100 interviews for 100 years" project. Then, on July 17, the "Time to Tri Virtual Challenge" began.
While originally planned to be a triathlon event, COVID-19 complicated the issue by making it tougher for participants to get to public pools. So, the event moved on as an event where participants trekked their mileage on foot and by bike.
Participants were challenged to bike a 40K while running a 20K over the course of a month.
While celebrating women's right to vote is a focal point in the event, it's become about much more than that. To vote is to have an impact. To vote is to make a choice that affects your life and your community. Gibson wants women to "vote" daily in their lives.
"Every word you use, everything that you do is a vote for the world that you want to live in. When we talk about voting...it is at the polls, but it's also in your daily life," said Gibson.
The virtual event ends at midnight on Sunday, but Gibson hopes the momentum gained from the past several weeks will continue for all involved.