In support of Children's Hospital of Colorado, I have taken on the challenge of training for the Courage Classic in the mountains of Colorado on July 20-21, 2024 in order to raise (hopefully over) $4,000 for Children's Hospital of Colorado. Instead of the 80 mile one day ride I did last year, this year I will be doing two separate rides totaling 86 miles and approximately 6200' elevation net gain with my cycling soul sister, Meagan. It takes more than one person to make up a team and that's why I'm asking you to donate to my fundraising efforts! Last year I made it into the top 50 with your help, and would love to do it again to help the children :)
MY WHY
I ride to give hope to Children's Hospital of Colorado patients like Will, Trevor, Cooper, Koby, Nathan, Flynn, Jared, Delany, and Hazel.
These are all children who were diagnosed with brain or blood cancer and have been remembered and honored through a group I have joined to ride the Courage Classic with, Wheels of Justice. My goal is to raise money to help support patients and their families through this diagnosis and treatment, as well as further childhood cancer research.
October 5, 2021 was my day that I felt the same heart wrenching words no one wants to hear, you have a brain tumor. My "Ralphie" as I named it, was found incidentally during a workup for dizziness and perceived hearing loss with my ENT. Ralphie was evicted on March 30, 2022 when I underwent my craniotomy and found out it was an astrocytoma, grade II. Thankfully it was fully resected with wide clear margins, so I have been able to defer chemo and radiation at this point. Additionally, I was very fortunate in that surgery went well without any complications. I have been able to return to work as an orthopedic PA and resume living my life again; however, I have struggled to return back to working out and cycling due to headaches. This ride once again is my mountain to overcome and prove that I can still do hard things in honor of those who no longer can.
Please read more about these incredibly brave children and help those who are being diagnosed right now. It was heavy enough experiencing this as an adult, and I cannot imaging navigating it as a child. https://www.wheelsofjustice.com/ride-dedication
Envision a world without pediatric cancer. The Courage Classic is an opportunity to support healthier futures for kids like Will, who lost his fight too soon. This year we ride for Will Maniatis. #willstrong www.wheelsofjustice.com/patient-stories
