So we made it! It was surreal arriving into Champaign a few days ago and being greeted at the Alumni center by friends and family. After spending a day on campus where I have lived the majority of the past few years I was sad to have to leave, but excited to make my way to Chicago.On the way to Chicago we stayed in Homewood, IL for a night. I had a strange feeling being so close to home in the southwest suburbs for a night, and an even stranger feeling riding into the skyline the next day. It seems like just yesterday that we were in New York seeing Pitbull at a 7 AM concert, or even on the train to New York City from Union Station. The experience has gone by so quickly so far, yet has also seemed like it has lasted a lifetime.I4K continues to amaze me everyday, and I am excited to see what the rest of the trip holds. Starting Saturday we will be going only west into states I have never seen. I cannot wait to see everything the west holds, and meet new people along the way.
Homewood Sweet Homewood
Today we left Clifton for Homewood, our final stop before Chicago! Riding with us were two I4K alumni, Connor Ramsey and Linsey Rock. The Rock family allowed us to stop at their home today, where we were treated to a fantastic lunch, including homemade ice cream! Huge thanks to the Rock family! On top of that, we learned how to make rope! Just a typical day of I4K.Arriving at Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church, we were welcomed by Pastor Kolhowski, who gave us the opportunity to shower, go swimming, and make ourselves comfortable after another day on the road. Our generous hosts deserve a huge thank you; we sincerely appreciate the hospitality, and dinner!On top of this, the team completed two more portraits, one of a high school student and one of a college student: Ryan Howard and Jacklyn Tusack. Thank you to both of them!Finally, we'd like to thank Athletico, especially Ms, Bigelow and DePrima, for providing the team with their services! After so many miles, we appreciated the great stretch!Thanks for the support we receive everyday! Love,The Illini 4000
Journey to the West!
Riding out of Champaign, away from what many of us consider home, was, in a way, freeing. We are no longer riding toward a known destination, but rather out into the west, into the future. We have a little less than two months left in our journey, but have already completed so much. Leaving the Alumni Center, several friends and family of Illini 4000, including Geoff Merritt (owner of That’s Rentertainment), rode along with us on our trip to Clifton, hometown of Shannon Cleary, one of the 2012 riders. We’d like to thank those that rode with us throughout the day; they certainly made the headwinds we faced more enjoyable! We arrived at Zion Lutheran Church in the early evening and were treated to a fantastic dinner and dessert, coveted showers, and of course, the swimming pool—thank you good people of Zion Lutheran Church!Today was important for the Portraits Project as well, as we completed seven portraits here in Clifton. One of the interviews was with a breast cancer survivor, who told usthat the best way to live life is to stay grounded and take life one day at a time. It is always touching to meet people like her, who just want the best for others, and it only furthers the emotional connection each rider has with the cause. It is hard for those affected by cancer to tell their stories, but without them our mission for this ride would be in vain. We’d like to thank those that shared their stories today: Betty Schatz, Marilyn Rosenboom, Flora R. Wood, Eugene Dawson, James Gigl, Gayle Clair, and Steve McLaughlin!
Chambana
Today we rolled into champaign urbana. It is unbelievably strange to think that I just biked to my house from New York City. And this ride is less than a third done. Strangely enough coming home was not as big a deal as I had thought it would have been. It honestly feels like just another day, except that instead of enjoying the city I'm in, I'm catching up on all the little things that have slipped through the cracks (organization, laundry, etc...).On the otherhand two days ago we were in Indianapolis and it was absolutely amazing. We went to a Relay for Life event, and honestly it may have been the most fun I've had on this trip. And we did a portrait of the man (unfortunately I cannot remember his name right now) who was running the event, and his energy and appetite for life was truly amazing.And yesterday we stayed in Rockeville Indiana with some of the nicest people I have ever met. The ride was fantastic (although I find I actually miss hills). And the Ice cream was fantastic.
It Feels Great to be Home!
Today we rode from Rockville, IN to Champaign, IL. We had our first rest stop at the border of Illinois and it felt great to be back at home. Our lunch stop was at Homer Lake, the same place where our very first training ride ended! In a way, it was strange returning to the place where it all started. We had our traditional peanut butter and jelly sandwich lunch, filled up our water bottles, and rode off with several Illini 4000 alumni for the last fifteen mile trek into the University of Illinois campus. For many on our team, it is the last time they will see the campus, as they graduate or return to their home countries.Arriving at the Alumni center was a fantastic experience as we were greeted by a wave of cheering and smiling faces. We’d like to thank all those who came out to see the team roll in after our first one thousand miles, especially the Alumni Center’s staff, University of Illinois professors and staff, Illini 4000 alumni, and the friends and families who continue to support us! WCIA3 actually featured us, which can be accessed here: http://illinoishomepage.net/fulltext?nxd_id=381312, so a big thank you to them, as well as to the News-Gazette, which featured us on the front page of their paper, which can be seen here:http://www.news-gazette.com/news/social-services/2012-06-12/illini-4000-riders-reach-campus-route-across-us.html On a final note, our Portraits Project website is now up and running!Please check it out here: http://portraitsproject.org/
The Heart of America
What a short day! The mere 62 miles went by very quickly, especially when we wake at 5am. Only one day from our beautiful campus, our spirits are high with excitement. Not only did we have an ice cream rest stop (again), but we rolled into the city and were greeted by some very nice people from the United Methodist Church. We got to relax at a church's member's pool, and dinner was amazing! The kindness of everyone that is helping us is very touching. Each day is a new best day.We were lucky again today because we were able to do a number of portraits of Randy Randall, James Rodriguez, and Judith Curtis Brown. Each new person we meet keeps the team motivated and connected to the cause.Thanks for the continuing support.Tailwinds!Illini 4000
Midwest is Best...
Already in Indiana, can you dig it? Today was a special day because it felt like home...flat, full of farmland, and windy. With only 72 miles to go today, we chose to have a random group ride day which means all of our names went into a hat (Jaime K's pocket) and we picked our groups from that. What fun I4K has in the morning! As we started the ride, the wind was a new element we had to deal with and some would even chose mountains over it. However, riding with Illini 4000 is not suppose to be an easy bike ride, and the team is coming to realize that every single day. Even though we have different difficulties to deal with everyday, all we have to do is ride. Life is so good and remembering the reason behind the ride adds fuel to the fire whenever we spot a hill or rain on the horizon. Luckily we get to reconnect once again with the cause by going to a local Relay for Life.We split into two groups because there was not enough room in the van and headed to the Relay for Life at a local high school. First, we danced with other participants to lighten the mood. We were surprised by the dance skills of some of our teammates, especially Kenny and Bradford. After a couple of sick dance moves, we visited tents that were set up and talked to the people about their experience with cancer. At some of the tents we collected portraits from Timothy W. Elshire, Stacey Bogan, and Sandy Brooking. In overall, we have had a wonderful time.5 AM wake up to head to Rockville, IN!Much love,Illini 4000
Hello Midwest
I haven't journaled in a long time, mostly because I've been exhausted from biking through the Appalachian Mountains. It's been an incredible experience so far, but the days have not come easily. Riding up really long steep hills is something none of the team is used to since we're all from the flattest region of the country. Although the last week was physically and mentally demanding it was rewarding and stimulating at the same time...not to mention, the scenery was beautiful. Waking up every day at 545 is becoming extremely easy and I'm still amazed by all of the kindness and generosity that we have encountered at each and every stay over. Everyone warmly welcomes us into town and i think I've eaten some of the best meals of my life this summer.I'm starting to really love riding and it's pretty cool to see the different group dynamics that happen between 28 individuals. The people I'm surrounded by are amazing and it's still exciting getting to know everyone on a different level. Head winds or mountain tops are nothing to worry about when you're riding alongside great people.Two days ago I ran into a man who was outside of his car holding up a sign with his wife and little girl that said "family in need, anything helps" I decided that instead of spending my spare cash on some McDonald's ice cream, I'd walk over and give it to the family in need. (Ive been eating way too much ice cream lately anyway). While talking with the man, I found out that he had been diagnosed with kidney cancer and had to quit his job because he could not bear the physical stress that it put on his body. Because of appointments and other surgeries he was continuously behind on paying bills and continues to struggle. He explained the hardships that cancer brought on and said that it's embarrassing to talk about. He told us that he hasn't been able to get a lot of the medication he needs because even transportation to the doctor costs money and he's more concerned about making sure his little girl has a place to sleep at night. It's eye opening to think about just how prevalent cancer is. I'm hopeful that the efforts we're making now will have an impact in the future. Cancer is all around us but maybe it's connecting us in powerful ways that we never imagined.
Our First Century Ride!
Our first century ride! What an exciting day to write the team post. Today started out at the early hour of 5 am and our senses were delighted by an original song written by our own Bradford Chapin. We then split into our groups and went off into the relatively flat land of Ohio. The day went by faster than a lot of us expected, and the mood was lightened with British accents and songs. Many of the team paused for multiple ice cream stops and lunch was wonderful because of a donation made by the Angry Baker in Columbus, Ohio. We met some fun people including a fellow cross country biker and a man named Danny.Meeting Danny Ebrite was an interesting situation. A group had pulled off the road when a truck pulled up next to them and the driver started asking them questions. He then offered the team members soda at his home where we started to explain the reason why we were biking across the country. Little did we know, his son had colon cancer and we collected a portrait. The experience was very pleasant and he was very positive throughout the entire journey.Lastly, the Illini4000 would like to thank a small Fire Department for allowing all of us to use their bathrooms!Thanks for the continuing support!Illini 4000
Century
Today, I completed my first century, i.e., a hundred mile ride. It was actually one hundred and four to be precise, but who’s counting. The funny thing is, this athletic accomplishment was not nearly the most rewarding part of the day (I did figure out, however, that after about eighty miles I get really bored and start doing things such as singing Chim Chim Cheree and Ninety Nine Bottles of Beer on the Wall).During today’s ride, we had pulled over by a stop sign in order for one of our riders to put their chain back on and were greeted by the very colorful and congenial Dan. We ended up drinking Cokes in his front yard and one thing led to another and we conducted a Portrait (As well as heard many a rendition of a few folk songs from Dan himself). Shortly after, as we were riding along, we had pulled off near a McDonalds due to a small collision in another group near us. As we did our customary bathroom run into the restaurant, one of the employees offered us each a sandwich of our choice. It was a very nice gesture and I don’t think they even know how much that meant to us.Champaign, here we come.
Americano and a Buckeye
Twelve days in I find myself in the student union of theOhio State University sipping coffee and scribbling in a notebook. Quitepossibly my favorite thing in life is sitting down alone with a cup of coffeeconfronting the day as it unfolds around me. For a second a glance up and watchthe people that surround me, and I realize I’m back at my usual coffee shop inUrbana, Illinois. In my mind, the students at Ohio State University appear justlike the students at the University of Illinois, and probably the University ofNorth Carolina, or Arizona, or Idaho, or any university across this country.My problem is simple: I’m a rotten generalizer.More often than necessary I put people into “boxes” based ontoo simple of patterns. The obvious problem with boxes is that they limitmovement, capability, and expectations. Boxes restrict how you view andunderstand people.A philosophical goal of mine not too long ago was tounderstand how people around the world were the same (the “universals “); toconsciously place humanity into a box. I thought if people proved to be moresimilar than thought world problems could be more easily eradicated.As it turns out, people are very rarely similar. Regardlessof how one chooses to identify or what situation one is born into, a life withevery experience is too unique to be placed in a box. What I think I’ve alwayssearched for is connection, but to see how people in the world are connected isnot to see how people in the world are similar. The real challenge is to seeconnection through the vast amounts of diversity.In the past twelve days I feel like I’ve gained real insightin how to perceive people when they disclose themselves. On day one of the rideI met Clinton, a survivor of cancer when he was just 36, who was now homeless.A few days later I met Eda, left as a child when her mother died of cancer, whowas born and raised in a rough neighborhood of inner city Philadelphia. Certainaspects of these two seemed salient enough to place them too quickly into a box,and if I had done that when I approached them I would have missed truly hearingthe stories of two people in this world.As a dire pessimistic at times, these last twelve days havehelped me understand how I had been limiting humanity as a whole. I except theworld to be a certain way, and it expect it to never change. But today, in theusual act of sitting down with a cup of coffee, I’ve gained respect for peopleas unique individuals with all sorts of experiences, and I’ve gained a littlehope for the world.
Columbus Event Day
Rest day! After a team meeting at 9:30 this morning, most of us split in different groups to explore the city, get food, visit bike shops, go shopping, visit museums, or just to chill in the Broad St. United Methodist Church. With the 104 mile day tomorrow and 5 am wake up, we discussed the challenges that the Midwest would present to the group. Flat land sounds easy to bike through, but the cold weather in the early morning, the 90 degree weather during the day, and the wind throughout everything could make the next few weeks as difficult as the Appalachians, but that won’t stop us, not until the next event day at least! This ride cross country, like the fight against cancer, isn’t easy, but our group is dedicated to documenting the American cancer experience and fundraising on our way.Richmond, IN tomorrow!Thanks for the continued support,Illini 4000
The Climb
"There's always going to be an uphill battle."These are the words that are in my head everytime I climb a hill and I refuse to accept defeat. At Wheeling, West Virginia, I did a portraits with 5 other riders on the team and we were talking to a breast cancer survivor she had a positive view and perspective. This amazes me and she also said "Telling people about what your going through and giving hugs helps alot to get through struggles." I will second that because everyone was cheering me on when I was climbing the steep hill on 8th street at Winchester, WV and when I got to the top, Massey and Marcus gave me a hug. It was very interesting how these experiences from different people could relate because we are all connected by how cancer has affected us.
Columbus
Well we made it through the mountains and it feels good to be in Columbus. This is our second event day and this one feels deserved. The past few days have overall been challenging and we have conquered a little adversity here and there. Morale is back up for the most part after a fun night on the town last evening. Off to enjoy the freedom an event day provides. See y'all in champaign.
When I Grow Up
I've been lucky enough to lead about half of the portraits the 2012 team has done this year, and I couldn't be happier about that! It completely amazes me at how many people are kind enough to put down whatever they're doing, and sit in front of our camera to share their story about their cancer experience. Portraits is definitely my favorite part of Illini 4000-- in my mind, it's what we're riding for. Documenting the American cancer experience is something that I think has the potential to help a lot of people, in a lot of different ways. I know it's certainly already helped me. Of the 16 portraits that the team has done this year (go team!!), there are 5 that have been incredibly important to me.The first was of three members of the Dinger family, Jeremy, Tammy, and Alex (who I lovingly know as AJ). Jeremy was diagnosed with cancer, and the 3 of them shared the story of how it affected all of them personally. This seems simple, but means so much to me because they're very close friends of my family, and while I knew that Jeremy had cancer, and I'd heard some of the story, but to hear the details of everything they went through was incredibly moving.The second was of someone even closer to me, my mom. She lost her mom to breast cancer at age 11, as well as losing her step-mom in November 2011. I've heard bits and pieces of the story throughout my entire life, but I've never heard it all in one sitting before, so it me hard. My mom has been my main influence of doing the ride; I don't want anyone to have to go through the pain of losing their mother at such a young age. I've watched for years at the emotional toll cancer has taken on mom's life, and if there's anything I can do to make it so that doesn't happen to other people, I want to.The next three all happened within the last 12 days of the ride!First, at the Hope Lodge in Baltimore, I met Jessica Drake, whose father was diagnosed with breast cancer. Jessica, during her portrait, said "I grew up knowing I wanted to make money and that was it. I went to school to be an accountant... After my dad got diagnosed with cancer, it really made me think about my values, and my big value is family now. So I changed my major, I want to be a grief counselor to help cancer patients.... Going from a 6 figure job to maybe only like 50,000 a year, but it makes me happy to know I can help people like my father." Jessica really touched me when she said this, because I've been trying to figure out where life is trying to take me. I've wanted to be a doctor for a long time, but recently I've questioned that decision because I really want to have a family, and get to spend the time with them that Jessica thought was so important. Maybe I'll grow up and be a grief counselor too!The next portrait that has really touched me was the portrait of Debbie Richardson, taken in Wheeling, WV. She talked to us about a lot of the science behind her cancer, which was really interesting. She got a mammogram in June that was completely clear, but was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer in September. She was incredibly positive about the entire thing, saying "God's not finished with me yet." When I asked about how cancer changed her outlook on life, she said that she found it incredibly important to tell the people you care about how much you care about them on a regular basis, because you never know what might happen. She's completely right. I tend to be a planner; I make huge, elaborate scenarios in my mind about how to tell people how much I care about them, and they rarely, if ever, work out as planned. I also tend to be pretty awful at telling people on a regular basis how much they mean to me. Debbie helped me realize that it's so much more important to tell the people you love, friends, family, etc, how much they mean to you on a daily basis, because you never know what might happen!The final portrait that really touched me was a portrait we did last night, at the Broad St. United Methodist Church in Columbus. The woman was Emily Schornstein, and once she started telling her story, I realized I was sitting in front of the woman that I want to be when I grow up. She was diagnosed with colon cancer, as well as that she was the caretaker for her daughter when her daughter was also diagnosed with colon cancer. Emily was quite simply an incredible woman. She stated that while she's happy that she's still alive, she would've been fine with it if she passed away, because she's done everything she wanted to do with her life, including crossing everything off her bucket list. 9 days after she finished her chemo treatment, she went to Egypt, and lived there for 4 years. Emily's story really touched the 5 of us who did the portrait! I know that for me personally, I so often get caught up in what I need to do everyday, and what my to-do list says, and everything that needs to be accounted for, that I forget to live. It seems like a constant theme that people are often stuck just going through the motions. I don't think that applies to Emily. She's traveled to Kuwait, taken 8 cruises in the last 10 weeks, lived in Egypt, owned a cadillac, and lived in a house on the lake! (Just a few of the items on her bucket list that she shared with us.) Emily is an image of someone that I want to be -- someone who isn't afraid of dying, because she's always lived. I'm sure that as the summer goes on, there will be many more portraits that will touch all of us in different ways, but I owe huge thanks to these incredible people who have already changed my outlook on life, only 12 days into the ride.
Exhausted and Happier Than Ever
Mountains, done. Can you believe it?! I'm actually really sad about it...even though my knees are very happy now. West Virginia is probably one of the most beautiful states I have ever seen. Waking up in the morning to see the dark purple ridges against the warm sky is the best sight, and the best feeling is getting to the top of a mountain.*Pictures are in my disposible cameras...they'll come eventuallyI have met people who are unforgetable because of their kindness. A special shout out goes out to Serge, the man who opened his garage to nine soaking riders during a scary thunderstorm. Thank you for the stories, roof, and trinket. :)I won't lie and say that all of my days were amazing though. There was a day in West Virginia where I was scared for my life more than once. These times include a teammate forgetting a helmet, an extremely horrible car crash with unsettling timing, and the sound of skreeting rubber right behind us. Biking on the roads is a lot more dangerous than I ever thought and there were times when I felt that someone was watching over me and my team mates. Reflecting on that day, I try and remember the postive part, like the guy who took thirty minutes out of his day to pulled over his car to tell us a safer (totally beautiful) detour. It makes me want to believe in something greater than all of us.Today was fun though. Great company-team "bike for boys/ girl talk" and an ice cream stop at Clay's Cafe. Plus we got to help out our stayover, Broad Street United Methodist Church, with their homeless dinner and I met Miss Mary, she was a hoot and a half. Everyone we have met at every stayover have been extremely nice and each place seems to get better and better. I never knew people could be so loving. I mean seriously... we each got our own omelet for breakfast?! Not only has my stomach been happy, my soul has never been fuller. Thank you Illini4000 for making me a better person to help the fight against cancer. I am pooped and happy tomorrow is an event day. Goodnight.
Columbus!
After days of mountainous climb through the Appalachians, the entire team looked forward to an easy 55 mile bike ride to Columbus, Ohio. Though not as strenuous as the last few days, everyone was still pretty sore, and most groups decided to bike at a slower pace. This gave most of us time to reflect upon how the last few days of biking, portraits, and people we met and all our memories as we bike cross the country. The mountains definitely challenged us and the year-long training definitely helped!Just outside of Columbus, one of the teams met Wyatt Gold, a survivor of renal cancer, who spoke openly with us about the financial burden that his cancer placed on his life. We can’t express enough how much appreciation we have for him taking the time out of his day to talk to us on the side of the road.Once in Columbus, we participated in a community event at Broad St. United Methodist Church, which was gracious enough to provide us with dinner. We also met Emily Schornstein, who gave an incredibly inspiring portrait that touched all the team members that were present. The teams glad that it’s an I4K Friday!With love,Illini 4000
Free Hugs
Today, we found ourselves entering Ohio and I must say; I miss the Appalachians. As we move from state to state, however, one thing has stayed constant; people have not ceased to amaze me, mostly in the positive and minutely in the negative sense. I wish more people had the opportunities I have been blessed with in meeting people both during the ride and more specifically while conducting Portraits. An inspiring woman I talked with yesterday while conducting one such Portrait was no acceptation. Ruthie was a breast cancer survivor and even beyond that, a truly insightful and positive person. I think we all might do well to follow her advice; go into fighting, whatever it may be because as soon as we defeat ourselves, we’ve already almost lost. So, as we continue rolling, day by day, and even beyond this summer and to everyone else, keep that in mind and in the spirit of Ruthie’s warmth, give someone a hug; something I don’t usually advocate, but tonight, I am.
Moving out of the Mountains
Today the team left Wheeling, WV and within less than 2 miles had crossed over into Ohio! At our very first stop at the Fast Lane Cafe in Morristown, Ohio we met a gentleman named Chris who shared his story with us about his father passing away from cancer. Chris was the 14th person we've had the opportunity to conduct a Portrait with and we truly appreciate his willingness to share and motivate us for our miles to come.We finally made it past the hardcore Appalachians, entering less strenuous terrain and made it to Zanesville, OH... the pottery capital of the world! The Westwood Baptist Church generously took us in, spoiled us with cots from the Red Cross, amazing showers at a local gym, and a delicious meal. We are all excited to head to Columbus, OH for our event day to rest our muscles and tend to our bikes.Thanks for the continued support,Illini 4000
To Ohio!
After a wonderful stay at Morgantown, WV, we set of for Wheeling, WV at 6:30 AM promptly. The day started out with a team stretch before the 76-mile day full of climbs! Though not as steep as the last two days, many in the group were still sore from the previous trek through the Appalachians. Traffic today was crazy, with the riders stopping every few miles through the winding, but incredibly beautiful, roads of West Virginia and Pennsylvania. After some slight confusion over cues (detours that try to take us on the interstate just don't work!), the rest of the ride went wonderfully. Today was possible because of the entire group's effort, climbing through the last of the Appalachians. Our ride today to Wheeling, a town of 30,000 people, was made incredibly special by the portraits event that was scheduled for us by the church. After an incredible dinner provided by the St. John's EP Church in Wheeling, Julianne and Tory gave a presentation on Portraits Project. Afterwards, two portraits were conducted. The team would like to thank both Ruthie McWhorter and Debbie Richardson for telling us their amazing stories about their battles with breast cancer, as well as for taking the time to come to the church and meet us. We especially want to thank everyone who has supported us so far. We wouldn't be able to hold this ride without the help of every person who has donated, given us their story, let us sleep on their floor, or simply given us their appreciation. Much love, Illini 4000