Font ResizeA sign reads: "They did it."
And that is no small accomplishment: riding bikes for 4,000 miles all the way from Austin Texas to here in Anchorage, Alaska, in the name of fighting the war against cancer. And when the moment came, when they arrived in Anchorage, it was an emotional experience.
- "Whooo!"
After 70 days of riding...
- "Yeah!!"
The emotion of what it truly meant to bike that far was evident. As the riders celebrated, water was poured on many of their heads amidst the excited screaming that literally came pouring out of these riders.
"A lot of us have had family members that have had cancer. And have inspired them to push hard," said race director, Daniel Kietzer.
"Both of my grandfathers have had prostate cancer. They're prostate cancer survivors," said racer Jordan Smotherman.
Mostly these 40 bikers are from the University of Texas. Each with a cancer connection inspiring them along the way, they peddled 4,000 miles--from Austin, Texas through Oklahoma, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Canada and finally to Anchorage. They pledged to each raise 4,000 dollars along the way.
"We hope we've inspired a lot of people on the way to join our fight. To fight cancer," said Kietzer.
"For us the ride is a metaphor for the battle against cancer," said race founder, Chris Condit.
Maybe no more of a metaphor than for Condit. After he survived Hodgkins lymphoma when he was 11-years-old, there was always a void in his life.
"It hurt a lot and left me with a need to try to do something to fight cancer," said Condit.
So four years ago Condit not only started this race, he rode in it.
"As we're peddling toward those tough spots, we have to keep peddling. Keep riding. Because cancer patients have to keep fighting," said Condit.
It is a fight each of these riders--each with their own, unique cancer connection--has their eye on inspiring you to help them beat cancer.
"And so getting to this point. We've peddled to the town without cancer. It's another projection of hope for people who have cancer," said Condit.
The significance of this goes beyond a bike ride to Alaska and the fight against cancer. It also signifies the beginning of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month here in Alaska. So these athletes went off to Providence Hospital to visit those battling cancer and see what a difference their fight is truly making.
A lot of parents from Texas traveled to Anchorage to cheer on their kids, who raised about a 160,000 dollars.
Monday you can help their cause by showing up at the Bear Tooth Theatre and buying a ticket to watch a Japanese film about a man's struggle to live the last year of his life with cancer.
To contact Matthew, call 907-273-3186.
