The skies are dark. The air is chilled. A hint of twilight peaks over the mountain top. I am poised to begin my bicycle tour around Lake Tahoe with 250 other Breakthrough T1D riders. In the calm before the start I have a brief moment to reflect on the entire weekend that builds up to this ride. Riders and groups from all over the country have merged into this ride for one goal, one purpose: find a cure for Type 1 Diabetes.
These people are fantastic. Everyone is so friendly. After the first meal my wife and I became friends with a group from Northern California and from our state neighbors in Oklahoma. We share stories of our inspiration to ride and our creative ideas for fundraising. The entire weekend is amazing to see the dedication of everyone involved toward this cause.
The ride begins and we head out to ride around the entire lake. This is the culmination of many months of work, both training on the bicycle and fundraising for the cause. It is all worth it. It is a chance to escape the 100 degree plus Texas heat and flat terrain for beautiful 70 degree temperatures with mountain views over the crystal blue lake. This location is one of the top cycling ventures in the country and I cannot believe that I am getting to ride it!
They say that this ride can change your life. And it does. The training is demanding. The fundraising is challenging. The “hard” is what makes it worthwhile and it is what it will take to conquer this disease. I challenge you to join and, don’t worry, Breakthrough T1D is there to help you out along the way. Then you will see first hand how this event can change your life.
To learn more about the Breakthrough T1D Ride to Cure Diabetes and how you can get involved, visit ride.jdrf.org or contact Haley Cole at hcole@BreakthroughT1D.org.
