This week has been an eventful one, to say the least. Today, members of Camp Kesem gave the team a presentation about what they do over the summer. It's great to see what the funds we raise go to, and to hear it from them was very meaningful. A big thank you to CK!This Thursday, over 300 students will be running down the Quad in their underwear to support the Illini 4000!Speaking of events, we're teaming up with the Wesley Foundation to put on a Spring Fling! If you're around campus on March 9th, stop by the Wesley Center at 7pm to help us fundraise while having a good time!
Work It Out
Here are the 2013 riders at training, with Director of Team Development, Connor Ramsey, leading them in an ab workout. Riders are looking forward to the warmer weather when training moves out on the road!
This Week in the I4K
It's been a great week for the Illini 4000 as we've reached over $40K in fundraising! Riders have been working hard this year, contacting businesses and holding events to help us reach our goal of $150K!With that, we're proud to announce that Illini Pride's Orange Krush is now supporting us! A big thank you to them!Today, riders will be bringing their new bikes to the general meeting, and next week members of Camp Kesem will give the team a presentation on what they do over the summer.
Groundhogs, Pigskins, and Wing-ed Cherubs
Ah, February.As you know, it started last week, and even if the calendar wasn't enough of an indication, there are plenty of other signs in the air heralding the arrival of the fun-sized month: groundhogs exercising their talent at advanced meteorology, bowls of the super variety being broadcast across the airwaves, preparations for impending romanticism with the aid of flying Greek infants, and undergraduates scurrying from table to table at job fairs, leather portfolios firmly in hand. All clear hallmarks of February: Week One.Well, I guess that last one may be more of a U of I specific phenomenon, but a sign of the season to those who live here nonetheless.Anyway, having navigated the characteristic Illinois half-slush-half-ice-slippery-frozen-death-trap equally as representative of the arrival of February the other evening, I found myself in the ceramics computer lab, finishing a lab report into the wee hours of the morning. Naturally, to combat the slow but certain mental fatigue associated with making sense of graphs and equations and “why aren’t these numbers coming out right” moments, I took to conversing with a friend of mine who also happened to be in the lab at the time. Over the course of the conversation, it was revealed that she would be working at Boeing over the summer, having herself put in the time talking to recruiters at the aforementioned job fair (well, one in the fall. But still). We spent a few minutes discussing where she would be living, what she would be doing, and all manner of other related things and then came the inquiry: “So what are you up to this summer?”“Oh, I’m riding my bike from New York to San Francisco to raise money for cancer research.”Since the presence of the Illini 4000 on campus is actually rather significant, she had already heard of the organization and knew what we were about, so then came questions of how long it would take and things of that sort. While she remained un-phased by the response of “70 days,” such a response is far from typical. What’s instead more common is a slight recoil of the head, not unlike when you get jolted awake, accompanied by a widening of the eyes and a low murmur of “wow, that’s a long time.” On a few occasions, inquirers have followed up with a “so, you’re not working this summer then are you?” Obviously, the response in such cases is “no,” but I never gave it any further thought until the other day.Juxtaposed against the masses of our peers chasing and stressing over employment opportunities, it seems odd at first glance that 27 of us have decided to forgo that route and spend the summer on the saddle of a bike. It’s certainly a minority of opinion to ignore the idea of getting work for the summer. But while it’s plain to see the suited-up students passing out resumes, I never took time to consider a large group of students you can’t see. Students who had their education, their careers, and everything else cut short because cancer got in the way. Then suddenly even having the choice whether or not to track down a job this summer seems nothing short of a luxury. And not just that: casually turning on the super bowl, reading about Punxsutawney Phil’s verdict, or even having to clutch on to a nearby railing to avoid landing face first on a patch of ice, seems all the more significant by the virtue of having the opportunity to experience them.So I guess I’d like to think that by deciding to ride across the country instead of sitting at a desk, we’re leaving a chair open for someone that never got that far. And I suppose it’s not really true to say we’re not working by riding this summer, it’s just not work in the normal sense. We’re working for the kids that never got a chance, and to ensure that one day they all will.
Thanks to Athletico!
At last night's team meeting, Athletico gave the team a presentation, showing us their support! A big thank you to them for all of their help! Here's rider Rishy Chacko holding up an Athletico bottle.
A New Connection
We are pleased to announce that we are now supported by Primal Wear! To learn more about them, go to: http://www.primalwear.com/
English 119 moved to English 259
I cannot believe I am in this same place again. Well, same building, same principles, different specific room. We've moved up a floor to a room where the floor tiles are firmly intact. Mostly, at least.I remember, less and less vividly, sitting in these chairs and watching Justin as he taught us about cycling safety. He showed us this silly video about cycling performance (Performance by MC SpandX), and I had no clue what was going on. Those meetings were full of foreign information on everything from fundraising to packing, and each time I gained a little more insight into what would define my college experience.That was three years ago, back when I was a bright-eyed freshman, thrilled with the opportunity to be a part of the Illini 4000. Now I'm a senior, wrapping up my last semester before I graduate and ship off to the workforce, and I just cannot believe how much time has gone by. I've watched as two teams replaced me and I4K 2k10, each one filled with the same enthusiasm and energy that had overwhelmed me my first time around.So now I am given the chance to do this all over again. I may have cycled across the country once, but I certainly haven't learned everything that the Illini 4000 has to teach me. Sitting on the board and watching the riders grow each year has shown me something special, something I cannot put into words. And I know this year will continue the tradition.This year has the coolest riders. Coming from the kid who spent freshman year hiding in the background, I am incredibly excited to ride with my teammates this year. And I am so excited for each and every one of them. I took away something profound from my ride, as has everyone I've ever spoken to regarding I4K.So here we go again. I4K 2k13 is off to the races. We're training, fundraising, and eventually we'll learn how to fix a flat. But right now, let's raise some money for cancer research and hit it hard on those stationary bikes.
Safety First!
On top of training, the team attends weekly meetings to prepare for the ins and outs of biking across the country.Here's the 2013 Bike America Team receiving a safety talk from Gregory Colten, President, and Connor Ramsey, Director of Team Development.
Fundraising, training, and other fun endeavors!
So this is my first blog post, and I'm mainly posting it to test out the site's blog function and to say THANKS to all of my amazing donors out there! (Though you'll be getting a more personalized thanks in the mail soon!)In other news, i4k has gotten off to a quick start this semester! We've been training multiple times a week and I am more sore than I ever thought I could be. But it is a good sore! I love the indoor trainings because it is really nice to have a reason to drag myself to the gym, but I can't wait until the weather gets nice enough for us to do outdoor rides. Woo! We've also all been pretty active with fundraising, because our second deadline is this Saturday! I'm about to send out another round of letters, and I know multiple team members have been 'canning' and organizing other forms of fundraisers! Keep your eyes peeled for more updates as we get closer to the beginning of our trip! :)
Winter Training
Training is going well here in Champaign-Urbana as the 2013 Bike America Team prepares for its summer journey!Here we are at the ARC posing for our first team photo.Thank you again, Campus Recreation, for having us!
Back to School for the 2013 Team
The 2013 Bike America Team is officially into its spring semester! We had our first meeting and will soon be at the ARC for training sessions. Thank you to Campus Recreation for having us!On top of this, we’re happy to introduce two new members to the team: Matt Soltys and Charles Miericke. We’re very excited to have them on the team!The winter months are always the longest, though the team will soon have their bikes on campus. We’ll be riding in no time though for now, safety is key and is what we’ll be teaching the 2013 Team in the months ahead. Stay tuned for upcoming events, such as the Portraits Gallery and 24 hours of Cycling! Also, the 2012 Annual Report will be coming soon!