Let's kick this fundraiser off!!
I am so excited to be an ambassador for Athletic Brewing Company, and I want to use it as an opportunity to really make a difference in the world.
If you’re not familiar with ABC, they create delicious non-alcoholic craft beer. The founder believes you should never have to compromise your health, training or recovery for great tasting beer. Not only do they make a great product, but they believe in giving back to the community through programs like Two for the Trails, which donates 2% of overall sales to fixing and enhancing community trails; or the Adventure Grant, which will reward $1,000 to an athlete that is using sport to make a difference, too.
How can you not be inspired by that?
It got me thinking about ways I could give back, and so I decided my big impact was going to be through Bike MS. Bike MS is something I’ve never done before. I wanted to do it last year, but as it was my first year riding, I didn’t think I could actually complete the ride. Since I’ve been training and I’ve gotten some more miles in my legs (lots, lots more), I feel more confident that the ride will not only be manageable, but it’ll be fun and beautiful, too!
The reason I want to ride in Bike MS is because my aunt Patricia (who I’ve always known as Patty) was diagnosed with MS. She really struggled with the disease; but not only was having MS hard enough, she also had to deal with sub-par insurance that left her no choice but to forego treatment because of affordability. She was also diagnosed with breast cancer, and struggled through to the end of her life after her cancer metastasized.
I got the chance to spend some time with her in the last few weeks of her life. By that point, I had moved to Wyoming, and getting back to Illinois was difficult. But Aunt Patty was a big inspiration to me, since I was a little girl. She taught me not to take shit from anyone, to stand up for myself, to give the middle finger when appropriate, to fight through the hard times, and to always cherish your family above all.
I was very close with my extended family growing up; we’d always have big get-togethers, and support and take care of one-another. So I got to see Patty a lot. She played bass in our family band (guess what, I played bass too). She was a big Green Bay Packers fan (maybe I don’t watch football as much, but that was always my team, too!). I guess you could say her mannerisms definitely wore off on me.
She would also message me on Facebook just to check in. She didn’t have to, and I know it was a struggle for her with her already limited funds, but she gave me a beautiful going-away present before I moved out west. Maybe on the surface it wasn’t much, just some office supplies for my new job, but it meant the world to me. I still have a lot of them, too. And when I was younger, she gave me this little six-pack of crayons shaped like little milk bottles in a carrying crate. I still have that thing; I’ve cherished it for years, and I’ll cherish it until I no longer can.
We all miss her, but I’m so sure she would be proud, maybe a little overwhelmed about all the attention — but that’s just the kind of person she was. So selfless, so caring, so sweet and sassy.
So today, I am officially kicking off my fundraiser! My goal is to raise $1,500 and to build a strong, caring and talented team to ride the 185 miles with.
If you’d like to support this cause, you can visit my Bike MS page to donate. The team also needs to raise funds to participate, so don’t hesitate to help out one of them, too! Here’s the team donation page.
If you are interested in joining the team as a rider or just to help raise money, please get in touch with me! I do have a discount code if you would like to join the team as a rider!
I also need to add — and I hope this doesn’t come off as selfish — but if anyone is feeling more generous than just supporting the Bike MS ride (please, make that your priority), a care package of shammy butter, training fuel like Picky Bars or Honey Stinger waffles and gels, or even something like a gas card to drive to the event would be so much appreciated. While the excitement is high and the ride is such a privilege, things like that can really help keep me (and the team) going; it means so, so much to have your support!
I’ve always said that it’s hard for one person to make much of a dent in this world. So let’s do this together. I need you, and people out there like my aunt need you, too.
SO LET’S DO THIS.
All cycling photography is done by the amazing Seneca Flowers, of Cheyenne. You can see his portfolio online and find contact information at senecaflowers.com.