Hi Everyone -
Hello My Friends -
I begin with tremendous gratitude for all of my friends. You’ve been with me through so many twists and turns. I don’t say it often enough, but I’m so blessed to have you in my life.
As I get ready to ride the Courage Classic 2025, it’s different. This has been a year of transitions. Everything has either changed or is changing.
The biggest transition was that I lost my mom. She passed after a very long struggle that began when she had a stroke almost a decade ago. She was one of the most selfless people I’ll ever know. During my last visit with her, when we knew she didn’t have much time, she told me, “Never forget how much I loved you.” I won’t. And as I’ve been training this year, I often think about her and hope that I will someday be as kind as she was. This year, I’m riding in her memory.
Rachel graduated from high school and is getting ready to head to the Arizona State in the fall. It’s hard for me to comprehend that my baby girl will be leaving us. She’s certainly grown up. And I know that she’ll be OK, but I’m going to blink back a few tears when I hug her goodbye.
Ryan’s journey took him to Milan for study abroad this spring. It was just what he needed. He passed all of his classes (yay) but the more important part of his education was the opportunity to see the world and build some self-reliance. The other day, I saw a copy of Dr. Suess’s Oh the Places You’ll Go, and it seems like Ryan took his advice to heart. He saw Prague, Zermatt, Madrid, Malta, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Munich, Sicily, Monaco, Como, Sevilla, Florence, Paris, and Nice (whew). We all went to fetch him at the end of the trip, otherwise I’m fairly sure he wouldn’t have come home.
Now that I’m at Children’s Colorado, I have a different appreciation for what happens every day within the hospital, and that makes the thousands of miles that I have ridden for the Courage Classic even more meaningful. Every day, there’s a patient who receives a new treatment that astounds me, yet the greatest part of the job is watching the thousands of people who bring so much care and compassion to families in their most difficult moments. It’s humbling, and I’m thankful they’ve welcomed me.
So that brings me to the part where I ask if you’ll be willing to contribute to my Courage Classic ride. Last year, I (finally) went over $100,000 in total fundraising for the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders. At this year’s ride, assuming my calculations are correct, I will also have ridden around the globe twice (49,802 miles)! Your generosity inspires me to keep riding.
Thank you so much!
Hope to see you soon!
