Why I Ride

There are some things in life that you don't understand until they become personal. Cancer is one of them.

For my family, cancer has never been just a word. It has been a diagnosis, a phone call, a hospital room, a fight, a goodbye, and a reminder that life can change in an instant.

My family has been affected by cancer in ways that are difficult to put into words. My grandfather on my mom's side fought breast cancer. On my dad's side, my grandfather battled both colon cancer and prostate cancer. My wife's brother has also fought cancer. And my wife's mother lost her life to this disease.

I have watched cancer affect the people I love, and I have watched the people I love have to be strong when they shouldn't have had to be. That is why this means so much to me.

I don't ride LOWVELO because I want to say I rode 80 miles. I ride because 80 miles is something I can do. Cancer is something I cannot simply pedal away. But I can do something. I can ride, I can raise money, and I can ask people to care. Together, we can help fund the research that might one day change someone else's story.

Because research isn't just about laboratories, microscopes, statistics, or scientific papers. Research is about people. It is about the grandfather who wants to see his grandchildren grow up. It is about the mother who wants more birthdays with her family. It is about the husband or wife who isn't ready to say goodbye. It is about the brother or sister who still has so much life ahead of them. It is about the family sitting in a hospital room, hoping that the next treatment works. And it is about the families who haven't been affected yet — the families who may someday hear the words, "You have cancer."

I want their story to be different.

I want the next generation to have better treatments, earlier detection, more options, and more hope. I want a cancer diagnosis to mean something different than it does today. And I know that doesn't happen by simply hoping for it. It happens because people fund the research that makes the next breakthrough possible.

That is what makes LOWVELO so meaningful to me. This isn't just a bike ride. It is a way for ordinary people to turn something difficult into something that can create change.

Since LOWVELO began, riders have raised millions of dollars for cancer research at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center. And importantly, 100% of participant-raised dollars go directly toward cancer research. LOWVELO-funded research has already helped generate additional NIH funding and has supported research into cancers including colon cancer and triple-negative breast cancer.

So when you donate to my fundraiser, you aren't simply helping me reach a fundraising goal. You are helping give researchers another opportunity to find something that could save a life.

Maybe that research helps someone else's grandfather. Maybe it helps someone's mother. Maybe it gives a husband and wife another decade together. Maybe it gives a child more years with their parent. And maybe, someday, it means another family doesn't have to experience the loss that mine has experienced.

That is why I am asking for your help.

On November 7, I will ride 80 miles as part of LOWVELO26. There will be moments when my legs hurt, when the miles feel long, and when I will wonder how much farther I have to go. But I know exactly what I will think about when it gets hard.

I will think about why I started.

I will think about the people in my family who have fought. I will think about the people we have lost. I will think about my wife and what her family has endured. And I will think about all the families who are fighting cancer right now.

Because 80 miles is nothing compared to what a family goes through when someone they love is fighting for their life.

If you are able to donate, please do. Whether it is $5, $20, $50, or whatever you can give, it matters. And if you cannot donate, sharing this page with someone who can is just as meaningful to me.

I am not asking you to donate because I am riding a bike. I am asking you to donate because every one of us knows someone we would do anything to keep a little longer.

I ride for my family. I ride for my wife's family. I ride for the people we have lost. I ride for the people still fighting. And I ride for the hope that someday, cancer will take far fewer people from the people who love them.

This is why I ride. This is why I raise. This is why we research. And ultimately, this is why we fight.

I've joined LOWVELO26 because I am passionate about making a difference in my community and helping find a cure for cancer.

Want to help?

Please join me in supporting this wonderful cause by making a donation to my fundraiser. The process is fast, easy, and secure... and 100% of the dollars I raise will benefit lifesaving cancer research at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center! To learn more about how your dollars are helping the fight against cancer, visit the LOWVELO Impact page.