Check out the C4C Team Spotlight in the
August issue of Cycling Utah Magazine!
Team Cycle 4 Cure Rides with Purpose
by Jamie Morningstar
Last month I climbed Squaw Peak
on an organized training ride with
my club, Team Cycle 4 Cure. It had
all the elements of a good club ride:
a nice turnout of folks in matching
jerseys, a ride leader to help me patch
the broken spoke I earned halfway
up the mountain, zippity-fast leaders
that left me feeling far too slow
crawling up those 1,800 vertical feet
(we’ll be kind and blame the broken
spoke for the slog up the mountain).
But this was a Team Cycle 4 Cure
(C4C) ride, which meant it was no
ordinary club ride. It’s what was -
who was - waiting for us at the top
of Squaw Peak that made this and
every C4C ride so special. At the top
we met two families fighting cancer
and one fighting MS. They weren’t
there to cheer for us; it was us cheering,
climbing, and struggling on their
behalf. It’s what makes every ride
with Team C4C different - every ride
is about carrying somebody along in
our hearts as we ride.
Team C4C was formed in 2013 to
bring like-minded cyclists together
to ride for a purpose. We all love
to ride and love to build our own
cycling skills and encourage cyclists
of all levels to dig deeper. It is a recreational
club with thirty members
with a wide range of cycling skill and
experience. Many members of Team
C4C had not participated in any
organized riding before joining the
team and C4C provides training and
opportunities to get stronger, cover
more miles, and ride with confidence
in a group.
Bike skills are only the beginning
of Team C4C’s purpose. Team
members participate in fundraising
and awareness rides to raise money
to fund cures for tough diseases
from MS to diabetes to cancer to
mental illness. The team has already
raised more than $11,000 in the first
half of 2015 to support organizations
like the National Multiple Sclerosis
Society, Huntsman Cancer Institute,
American Diabetes Association, and
many others to fund programs and
research for those fighting serious
illness.
But what really sets Team Cycle
4 Cure apart for its members and
beneficiaries is the personal aspect
of every ride. Each rider is encouraged
to choose a friend or loved
one who is struggling with a serious
condition and “carry them along” as
a symbolic passenger for the ride.
This includes sending the recipient
photos or memorabilia from the ride,
filming short video tributes while
riding, or simply just acknowledging
in the heart of every rider that each
painful or challenging mile pales in
comparison to the struggles of loved
ones who fight terrible diseases. I
speak from experience that I can
dig a lot deeper and ride a lot harder
when I remember that I’m riding for
people who are suffering.
Team member Rob Bateman sums
it up like this: “I enjoy riding with a
team that wants to make a difference
in the lives of others. It impresses me
that a group of people at all different
levels of ability would start an event
with prayer for those who are afflicted
and would dedicate their exertions
to finding a cure for the illnesses of
others. This takes something that we
all love to do (cycling) and gives it
meaning beyond self.”
It can be easy for to underestimate
the impact that Team C4C’s simple
encouragements can make in the
lives of those we ride for. I wonder,
“how much good can my little acts
of support do for my friends who are
fighting uphill battles against cancer
and other serious diseases?”
And then I hear the stories from
those whose spirits were lifted and
who had a little more energy to fight
another day because of the big hearts
of Team Cycle 4 Cure. My friend
Tom is fighting hard against melanoma
and as he was reflecting on
Team C4C he shared that “knowing
C4C is riding for me is incredible;
they have been a huge encouragement
through a pretty difficult time.
Having a group of people who are
thinking about me, praying for me,
and standing behind me, provides
a huge boost emotionally and that
gives me the courage needed to keep
my chin up and push on! Team C4C
is making a difference.”
And that’s why I Cycle 4 Cure.
If you’re interested in joining,
sponsoring, or learning more about
Team Cycle 4 Cure, check out our
website at
http://www.teamc4c.org or
email
teamcycle4cure@gmail.com.
Bike skills are only the beginning
of Team C4C’s purpose. Team
members participate in fundraising
and awareness rides to raise money
to fund cures for tough diseases
from MS to diabetes to cancer to
mental illness. The team has already
raised more than $11,000 in the first
half of 2015 to support organizations
like the National Multiple Sclerosis
Society, Huntsman Cancer Institute,
American Diabetes Association, and
many others to fund programs and
research for those fighting serious
illness.
Team C4C has been kicking it in June, riding big miles and bringing big encouragement (and fundraising dollars!) to folks fighting uphill battles. So far June has brought us the Tour de Cure to benefit the American Diabetes Association and Little Red Riding Hood for the Huntsman Cancer Institute.
