Age 35 is too young for anyone to die, including people like my brother Tom. He lived with Down syndrome and several other health complications. Yet his sudden death this past March 2025 caught my family and Tom's entire community by surprise.
This is why I've joined the Dare to Ride team of the Courage Classic, to benefit the Sie Center for Down Syndrome at Children's Hospital.
This will be my 3rd Courage Classic with the Dare to Ride team, and the cause is extra-meaningful for me this year.
The Sie Center helps improve patient outcomes through groundbreaking clinical Down syndrome research. Through close partnerships with the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome and the Global Down Syndrome Foundation, the Sie Center brings the latest advancements directly to families in its care.
Today's children, teens, and adults with Down syndrome have ever-improving interventions and standards for care, thanks to the important research and advocacy work the Sie Center is doing. That's why I'm pedaling for longer, healthier lives for people like Tom.
Ride profile:
July 19: Copper Loop. 80 miles, 6,500 feet of gain
July 29: Loveland Pass. 61 miles, 5,000 feet of gain
In Loving Memory
Thomas John Ord
April 20, 1989 - March 6, 2025
