Please Support Me in the Tour De Cure

This will be my fifth year riding in the Tour & captaining Team Red St. Louis. The team has grown from 2 the first year to 70 last year, & we're shooting for 100 in 2013! It's also my sixth year with Type 2 diabetes which I continue to manage though diet & cycling. I've been impressed & amazed with the support my friends & family have given me, & I'm very grateful for it all. I hope you will continue to support the fight against this disease which is one of the leading killers of people in this country.

Last year I managed to ride 65 miles on the 50-mile route due to a wrong turn, but had a great time & felt quite good at the end. Unfortunately, this year, due to a car running into me, I'm lucky to be alive, but I should be able to ride the 10-mile course with my sister Diane on a borrowed bike since mine was broken. In 2012 I also competed in the Missouri State Senior Olympics for the first time. I did fairly well, though not good enough to qualify for the Nationals. I'll be training harder for the 2014 event, now that I know what the competition is like. Also, in October, I completed my first century ride; riding 100 miles in a little under six & a half hours through head-winds, sun, & rain. I'm currently going through extended rehab to put Humpty Dumpty Bach together again, but I'll be better then before I hope. Special thanks to everyone who's helped so far. Keep wearing your helmets, everyone.

I had a great ride last year & diabetes research did really well, too. New glucose meters that pair with smart phones to help diabetics manage their disease & communicate with their doctors have come on the market, waterproof insulin pumps allow greater freedom & more exercise for Type 1s, an artificial pancreas is showing great promise, as is stem cell research. All these things come about through (expensive) research, & your donations help make that happen. In addition, the American Diabetes Association funds advocacy & education programs to help people avoid developing diabetes.

As many of you know, I have a brother-in-law & a nephew who also have Type 2, & I ride for them as well as myself. Over these last 6 years I've also come to know quite a few others dealing with diabetes, including a couple of triathletes who amaze & inspire me. 

Again, though I'm almost at my goal, I would greatly appreciate your support. If you would let others know about this, that would be wonderful, & if you want to join me on June 1st for a fun ride (you don't have to ride 50 or 100 miles, shorter routes are available) you can click on the "Join My Team" button. I'd love to have you ride with Team Red St. Louis!