Why I ride
Hello to all my friends and family. I am turning 76 this July and 34 of those years I have been riding the Courage Classic for Children's Hospital Colorado! I was 40 when I began this Journey!
As everyone who probably views this knows, I am one of the founders of the Courage Classic bicycle fundraiser for Children's Hospital Colorado, and each of you have been receiving these requests for donations every year for 34 years now. Each of you have been very generous in the past and have supported me in this ride for many years, and I am very humbled and thankful for all of your support.
Over the last 34 years we have encountered many hardships and difficulties during this ride. We have had freezing rain, snow, (yes it can snow in the mountains of Colorado in July!) Flat tires, accidents, Heat, running out of food, water, every weather condition, good and bad! But we have endured and made it through to the end every year. I have ridden with each of my family members on a tandem and I have taken one of the Team Courage kids with Cerebral Palsy on the tandem with me for several years until his mom told me his legs just couldn't ride anymore. However, he's now a ParaOlympian in the Para-Olympics on a snowboard! He has since become a tow-time World Champion, 5 timeWorld Championship medalist, and an ESPY award winner. This is why I ride! I have seen so many miracles of kids beating cancer, learning to walk, overcoming brain injuries, burns, and watched devastated families fight back and win over incredible odds. Not all make it, but many do and it is your contributions that help make it happen!
I will be turning 76 years old this year just one week before the ride, I live in Florida most of the year and Chicago area some of the year, and neither has hills or altitude! So yes, it is getting more and more difficult to ride Vail Pass, Fremont Pass and Battle Mountain.
But I intend to continue until I just can't do it anymore. Yes, I’m that passionate about it! Why? I started riding this back in 1990 after my Daughter Shelley was born, she was treated for a thyroid condition at Children's. That is when I first encountered the incredible loving care and experience at Children's Hospital. She eventually became a nurse at Children's and met her husband Chase also a nurse at the Courage Classic. They left to explore the travelling nurse program for a few years. They now have two beautiful Identical twin daughters, (my granddaughters) and Shelley has returned to Children's Hospital Colorado once again. So as you can see it is in the family, now, it has become a family tradition to ride the Courage Classic. My other daughter Rachel rode with me in the past and will be riding on the tandem with me again this year.
Thanks for visiting my personal fundraising web page and make a donation today. You can click the green link at the TOP of this page to make an online donation. It's easy, fast and safe. Plus, you'll be making a difference for a great cause.
Your donation will help Children's Hospital Colorado patients thrive and survive.
Thanks in advance for your generous support.
