Ryan Ballou has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and formed Ballou Skies with his father to provide funds to map the hearts of boys with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. MD weakens all muscles. Without a cure, the most important muscle, the heart, will fail. If we can look at numerous hearts and map the progression of scarring and the weakening of this vital muscle we can hopefully extend lives until there is a cure. By streghtening hearts, we are lengthing lives. 100% of the money raised by BallouSkies goes to trial at the Ohio State University Heart Clinic where this life-saving research is taking place. The Chicago chapter of Ballou Skies -- the Ballou Skies Chi Tri Team -- is in its third year. Started by Ryan's cousin, a Chicago resident, it continues the mission of Ballou Skies, raising money and spreading awareness throughout the Midwest. The team competes in triathlons throughout the summer. Our largest race is the Chicago Triathlon which sees over 9,000 participants from 46 states and 18 different countries. Each team member raises money for this cause, all of which goes directly to the 501c3 charity. As Ryan told the team, "when you finish the race, remember, you aren’t just pushing yourself physically, you are pushing life-saving research forward."