My teammates and I rode over 100 miles last Saturday in the Moab Century Ride. It was tough, but our training really did prepare us for success. Nothing can match the emotion of watching our team cross the finish line with our Team Hero and other cancer survivors leading us in. It is a moment I will cherish the rest of my life.

I want to thank everyone that has made a contribution.  So far, I have raised just over $2,000 and we have until October for me to reach my goal of $2,500. I am also pleased to announce that the Rocky Mountain team raised over $55,000 and that all of the participants at the Moab event raised over $483,000 for cancer survivorship programs.

I started this season with 0 miles on a road bike, and hadn’t even ridden any type of bicycle in years. With the help of our coach and my teammates, I slowly built up the strength to do 100 miles. But I learned that the biggest part of this challenge was mental. There were many doubts in my mind in the early parts of the season, but I always just looked to others for inspiration.

Sometimes it was my teammates that inspired me with stories about loved ones fighting cancer. Several of my teammates are survivors and that was truly inspiring to see. But I was always most inspired by my own Dad. He showed me what courage and perseverance can do. 

On the trip to Moab, I carried one of my Dad’s business cards. It had the title of Product Design Engineer. It may not seem hugely glamorous, but it made me proud to carry that. My Dad was an orphan and did not have the opportunity to even finish high school. But he studied on his own and learned the skills to be an engineer. That challenge and the others I saw my Dad face are what truly inspired me.

My Dad did not get to see me finish 100 miles in his honor because of Leukemia. But I had him in my thoughts the whole day. I imagined myself telling him about it after crossing the finish line. I could hear him say, “I knew you would do it.” And that sums it up. My Dad always encouraged me to set my goals high, and when I achieved them, he didn’t act surprised.

Thanks again to everyone for your support this season!

Patrick

P.S. I made a video with highlights from the ride (including lots of footage from my helmet video cam):

P.P.S. Thanks to:
Alfonso Nunez
Alvin P. Anderson, Jr.
Alvin P. Anderson, Sr.
Amber Tafoya
Andrea Suhaka
Angela Allen Walter
Angela Engel
Bart Prieve
Bernie Rogoff
Beth Cortopassi
Bev Crofford
Cathy Noon
Cecelia Lankutis
Charles Whelan
Charlotte Faris
Christian Moreau
Curtis Schmidt
Dan Weatherly
David Golias
Debbie Fischer
Debra Armbruster
Emily Bledsoe
Erika Ramseyer
Finn McCool's
Gena Ozuls
James Hart
Jeff Schweinfest
Jennifer Herrera
John Johnson
Karen Hart
Marcie Dahlen
Marinda Weatherly
Mary Ellen Anderson
Mo Keller
Nebiyu Asfaw
Odis Anderson
Polly Penna
Ramona Martinez
Randy Hunt
Rebecca Bliss
Rich Valdez
Rick Munoz
Sonji Wilkes
Tara & U.B.
Teresa Romanek
The Conditioning Classroo...
Todd Miller
Vickie Hall
Vineta Campau
Wendi Brown
William Owens
William Simmermon