One week to go!

There is one more week remaining before the 2013 Bike America Team departs for New York City! With 21 riders led by Illini 4000 President Gregory Colten, we're all very excited to see them off at Union Station.They have all completed their training, experienced a day in the life of I4k by completing the 90 mile ride with an overnight stayover, and become warmly acquainted with the peanut butter and jelly lunchtime tradition.They are finally ready for their journey. Good luck 2013 Team!A few photos of training for the 2013 team:

90 Mile Training Ride - A Day in the Life

Today was our 90 mile training ride and we got to experience what a day in the life of I4K is really like. The 2013 Team had the opportunity to lead groups on our own today which was really great preparation for the summer.The morning started off great, but once we made it to the hills of Indiana we got some rain and tailwinds! Our ingenuity was tested again today at lunch since we didn’t have knives for our peanut butter and jelly sandwich but we made it work with cardboard. Classic I4K.Half of the riders did the marathon this morning, so it was great when the team was reunited at Faith Church. We also got the opportunity to meet Pastor Chris and his wife after cooking our first I4K dinner of lentils and pasta.Thank you to Faith Church in Fairmount, Illinois for hosting us tonight. We couldn’t do this without great people like them.Today made us all really excited for the summer to begin and for this to being our routine every day!XOXOIllini 4000

Miles and miles of smiles!

Riders completed their 75 mile ride last weekend, encountering Kickapoo hills, flooded roads, and some much awaited warm weather!Later that day, we attended Relay for Life, hosted by Colleges Against Cancer, and cycled on trainers for 12 hours!Next week is the final training ride, a 90 mile ride complete with an overnight stayover!Director of Team Development, Connor Ramsey, enjoying a classic I4K PB&J.Riders saved their shoes, socks, and bikes from the flooding! Nothing can stop team 2013!Riding from 7pm til 7am at Relay for Life!

one month.

Today marks one month until our team boards the train in Chicago to begin our adventure! I can't believe it's so close already. The reality is beginning to set in that in just a few short weeks, our lives will be consumed by nothing but Illini 4000. This past weekend gave us a tiny taste of what this will be like!We had our 75-mile training ride on Saturday. It was crazy awesome! The recent abundance of rain added a bit of extra fun to our trip by providing us with flooded roads around what seemed to be every turn! My group made the mistake of walking through the first one without taking off our shoes/socks, so that made for a bit of a soggy journey. However, we survived! At a few points, we had to re-route in order to avoid roads that were completely impassible. Nearing the end of our journey (as we were approaching Homer Lake) we stumbled upon what seemed to be a river in the road! We actually saw a few people travelling through it by canoe, which would have been a viable option if we only had a canoe! However, we all tossed our shoes/socks in our pockets, picked up our bikes, and forded the river! It definitely felt like more of an adventure with all of the flooding. We ate lunch as a team at a gas station, which was also super fun! For most of us riders, it was our first experience with the infamous I4K PBJ lunches. Our mealtime was extra special because we forgot to bring knives to spread the peanut butter and jelly! So luckily, David Walder ran inside and bought some beef jerky sticks and we used those (inside the wrapper!) as our knives. Style points for innovative solutions. There are definitely pictures of all of these endeavors on the Illini 4000 facebook, and they'll probably be posted on here shortly!April has been an incredibly busy month, and none of this will calm down before the end of the school year. However, we had a great reminder at the meeting tonight (shout out to Tory Cross!). Though it may seem easy to get overwhelmed with everything going on and the huge commitment we've made to the organization, it is important to remember why we made that commitment in the first place. All of us gathered together to stand up for something we found to be unacceptable: Cancer. The long term product of the work we're doing is not to increase our strength, make our friends jealous with cool pictures on facebook, or see how many group activities we can attend in one month. We're doing this for people whose lives have been turned upside down by Cancer. This is such an encouraging reminder amongst the busyness of preparing for the summer adventure, coming into finals season, and for some of us (myself included!), gearing up for graduation.

For the families, researchers, and doctors committed to the fight, we pedal. By the hope, love, and support of people we meet, we keep going.

blessed.

This blog post has been very long overdue. So many things to say and so little time!We've been finally training on our bikes, which has been awesome! We’re increasing our weekend training rides in 15-mile increments, so it has been a bit strenuous, but very rewarding. A couple weeks ago, we had a 45-mile ride in some ridiculous wind. Going into the wind proved to be quite difficult, but we didn't experience true troubles until going perpendicular to the wind, thus giving us crosswinds. What a trip! I was constantly trying to keep myself from being knocked over, whilst keeping my balance so that when the wind let up, I wouldn't fall to the other side! As always, though, we were blessed with some AMAZING tailwinds for the last ten miles of the ride. It was beyond glorious and a great experience! Now that I've experienced such intense crosswinds, I’ll be prepared to encounter those again. Plus it was alumni weekend, so we got to ride with some really cool cats.Last week we had 24 Hours of Cycling, in which we were on the quad from noon on Thursday to noon on Friday! 24 Hours of Cycling was super exciting for me, because it plays a role in why I joined the Illini 4000 for this summer! Last year, I was biking back from hanging out with a friend and passed the 24 Hours of Cycling event on the quad. For some reason, when I passed the group I felt this overwhelming urge to do something bigger than myself. The Illini 4000 seemed like the perfect way to do it! I’d known about the Illini 4000 since my freshman year, so at that moment, I knew I couldn’t push it off any longer. And here I am today!With that being said, I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m doing this ride at the perfect time in my life. Though it has put a bit of a kink in the whole ‘job search’ thing, after getting a full-time job I will not have the opportunity to take three months out of my life to bike across the country. Plus, I could not be more excited about the amazing things being done by the Illini 4000 and all of the wonderful people involved.I also have felt beyond blessed by the overwhelming support I have received from family, friends, and members of the community. I'm amazed every time I see a new donor show up on my fundraising feed! I can’t believe generous people are. To all of my donors, I extend my greatest gratitude. I assure you, your donations are going to a very noble cause.I’ll try to keep blogging more frequently to keep everyone posted. Have a wonderful day! 

Alumni Weekend meets Portraits Gallery!

Last Saturday, Illini 4000 alumni joined the team at Allen Hall for the annual Alumni Ride, this year a 30 mile ride. Riders from 2010 through 2012 joined the 2013 Bike America Team for some of the strongest winds we've ever had during a training ride. Alumni returned to campus and, like always, came together for some delicious Mexican food!Later that day, Directors of the Portraits Project presented their work at the campus YMCA, displaying dozens of new Portraits in both text and video format.Thank you to all who came out and supported us! Below are some photos from both events.As Sean Laude has moved to NYC, he wasn't able to hold up the 2007 fort this year. All of the I4K Pioneers were with us in spirit though!Matt Cillick representing the 2008 team.Erik Volkman and Conor Canady from the 2009 (and 2010) team!Several members of the I4K 2010 TeamA group of 2011ers reunited!First I4K Alumni Weekend as alumni for the 2012 team!2013 team - leaving for NYC in just over one month!Some of the Portraits being shared for the first time ever at the 2013 Spring Gallery.Former rider, Connor Wilson, presenting on a Portrait he participated in during the 2012 ride.Experiencing the Portraits Project Gallery

How close we are...

Here is the question I asked myself yesterday after I received my mom's phone call."How close was I, and could be?''It may seem pretty far down the road of one's life, especially if you are just in early age of 20. Well, at least I felt that way for quite a while. The last time I ever felt that I was close to my edge was 4 years ago. Back then, I was diagnosed with Fatty Liver, requiring immediate action for proper diet and regular work-out. That moment drove me into a whole new path. However, as I have become confident in my physical status, I forgot that lesson.Over this spring break, my wife Haeley and I visited my family back in S.Korea. During that one-week-long visit, I visited a medical center in Seoul for my health check up. It was a very thorough process, which involved colonoscopy. The doctor put me into a coma while practicing colonoscopy, and when I woke up, he told me he removed two irregular groups of cells grown in my colon. Also he mentioned that those cells could be developed into a colon cancer if not treated for several years.The official result just came out this Monday. My health in general was fine. My family's major concern, however, was the result of the colonoscopy. According to the cell analyzing, one of those removed groups in fact was the potential cancer cell group. As soon as the result came out, Haeley changed my entire dietary into "Cancer-Resistant" ingredients with low sodium. Yet it is not only my dietary to be changed, but once again I remind that very lesson from 4 years ago; Always ask yourself how close you could be.Because if I am asking myself that question, that means I am still alive, and that is something to be grateful.

Portraits Gallery - This Saturday at the Campus YMCA!

The Illini 4000 is hosting an event at the YMCA to share the stories of how cancer has affected America. From 6 to 9 p.m., come and learn from individuals from across the country about how facing cancer has changed their lives.This is the second presentation to visit the Champaign-Urbana community since the founding of the Portraits Project. This program aims to lend a voice to the American cancer experience, as recorded over 6 years by cross-country cyclists. The teams conducts interviews (or Portraits) as they encounter cancer patients, survivors, care-takers, and anyone else willing to share their story. These stories share insight into their heart-felt experiences as they gain new focus on family, friendships, and community. There is no agenda, and the interviews always begin with: "In your own words, tell us story."At 7 p.m., there will be a special presentation from the the Directors of the Portraits Project, which we hope you will attend.This event will include stories in various forms of media. A number of them will be presented as videos, including commentary from someone present at the interview. Others will be shown as text, attempting to convey the messages of struggle, hope, and inspiration that the Portraits contain.

First Training Ride!

And just like that, April is upon us! This month is always the most active for the Illini 4000, packed with training rides, events, and fundraising!Speaking of training, the team just completed its first training ride, a 30 mile loop to Homer Lake. Leaving from Allen Hall, we battled headwinds for the first time on the way out. Every rider pushed through, finishing around noon on a beautiful, sunny Saturday. Good work team! Check out some pictures below!This Saturday, April 6th, is the Alumni Ride! Alumni will meet the new riders in the morning and leave from Allen Hall around 10am. We're very excited to see members from the past 6 years of rides!This Saturday is also the Portraits Gallery! From 6-9pm, come to the U of I YCMA, where we will be exhibiting many Portraits- interviews with those affected by cancer- that we have collected along our cross country journeys.

How Often the Train Goes By

For the last however many years it’s been since I first saw The Blues Brothers, it’s held a secure place in my top 5 favorite movies, boasting the honor of being included on my “You-need-to-drop-everything-you’re-doing-right-now-and-familiarize-yourself-with-this-[movie/album/book/what have you]-if-you-have-not-already-done-so-in-order-to-fully-understand-what-in-means-to-be-part-of-functioning-society” list as well. (If you haven’t seen it, go rectify that situation right now before you finish reading this. I’ll wait. No, seriously, go do it.)  I mean, any occasion when Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, and James Brown are all on the soundtrack for (and appear in) a film, more vehicles were destroyed in the filming process than in any motion picture up until then, and you have Dan Akroyd and John Belushi, how could you go wrong?It’s a quality film, is what I’m getting at. Anyway, I’ve watched it enough times by now to be able to recite back to you large chunks of the film on command, and a few weeks ago I was bored and had homework to do, so naturally instead of doing that I popped The Blues Brothers into the ol’ DVD player.  It was the obvious choice. “How often does the train go by?”“So often you won’t even notice it.”Ah, one of my favorite lines. Funny because it sounds ridiculous as an answer to that question, but as the scene goes on it’s clearly a valid response. The train goes by so often that it becomes part of the soundtrack and you really don’t notice it. It’s consistent enough that your brain tunes it out and it just becomes part of the background, which is really true of a lot of things when you think about it. Pretty much anything that happens on a regular basis becomes so natural you don’t notice it. And as regrettable as it is to say, the same can be said of cancer. If you’ve existed on earth for any appreciable amount of time, and if you’re reading this it’s safe to say you’ve been here at least enough years to learn how to read (so, what, like 5?), chances are you know a staggering number of people who have had cancer. I think the numbers on it are something like 1 in 3 women and 1 in 2 men over an 80 year life span will get some form of it, though that data is a little skewed because it occurs most often in people over 60. But, hey, everyone still knows tons of people over 60 and age isn’t important, what’s important is THAT’S A WHOLE LOT OF PEOPLE.  So many that whenever you hear yet another person you know gets sidelined by the disease, it’s almost not a surprise. Sure, you never expect it to happen to anyone, but after hearing about so many people affected by the disease it becomes another element of the background noise unless it’s someone you see every day. Far from an ideal response, and one that I can admit to have had, but that’s how things go some times. The key word in that sentence, though, is “some.” I don’t know if I’ve just matured a bit, if it’s a result of being part of an organization actively involved in the brouhaha between mankind and the scourge that is cancer, or the fact that as years go by the issue becomes more demographically relevant, but this year in particular the whole cancer situation has shifted out of the background of my day to day and reared it’s dissonant face much more frequently. Allow me to elaborate. About a month ago, we of the Illini 4000 had what can best be described as a pow-wow during one of our meetings to refocus and discuss what we’re here to do. All this talk of tubes of metal propelled by rubber circles and the various accoutrements required to do that effectively has a way of overshadowing the whole “let’s put an end to this cancer business” aspect of what we do. And when you have a room full of 25-ish college students going around a room, pretty much all of whom have had a close relative or friend or themselves go up against the disease, it’s hard to look at it as a background issue. I mean, it brought us all here to spend large amounts of time combating it, so it obviously has some strong influence. To summarize my turn in the circle, part of why I’m doing this is to put some things into perspective. When you go from one coast of the United States to the other and physically do all the moving yourself, I imagine it becomes clear there’s a lot of the country you would never know existed if you didn’t bike through it. And I have a feeling that kind of experience gives you an idea of where you fit in the whole scheme of things a little bit better. I might have said it better in the meeting because it sounds stupid written out here, but whatever. Anyway, as for this cancer thing, the other reason I’m part of I4K, the case I always come back to is my mom’s cousin Tina. To condense a long story into a short one, she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer when I was in eighth grade, and from the get-go it sounded like the doctors knew it was going to be a rough battle. But what struck me as amazing was that you never would have guessed that was the case based on how anyone in the family reacted. My mom has an enormous and very close extended family, and not a single one for a second doubted that Tina would make it through the whole ordeal, if for no other reason than she was too stubborn and full of “piss and vinegar” to give up. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case, and it wasn’t a battle she ended up winning. But it wasn’t until recently I really appreciated the attitude that everyone in the family had. Regardless of the odds, failure wasn’t considered an option no matter what anyone said. I don’t think I fully appreciated how difficult of an attitude this is to maintain until this year, and maybe that’s an age thing. But so that’s what initially pushed me to get involved in the organization. Granted, Tina is not the only person I know to have battled cancer, but she was the closest of the ones I’ve known to lose that battle so she’s been at the front of my mind throughout the process.What I didn’t mention at the meeting, mainly because I didn’t have time to sort it out in my head yet, was that five days prior, one of the guys I ran track with in high school was diagnosed with leukemia. While admittedly I didn’t know Kyle super well in school (he’s a year younger than I am, I didn’t meet him until the end of my junior year, and it was a big enough school you didn’t always run into people during the day) he was “one of the guys” when it came to track, and a upstanding guy at that. I haven’t seen him a whole lot since graduation, but I follow him on twitter and facebook and whatnot so I’ve kept up with him that way. And one day he said he was sick and going to the doctor the following day, and three days later he was in the hospital. Life, as they say, comes at you fast. A guy I went to school with. A guy I ran with every day in the springtime. A guy going to college while still working a job, and the kind of guy who waits for summer to go to Warped Tour as much for the mosh pits as for the bands. And within two days he went from feeling under the weather to in the hospital. I don’t know if it’s because he’s the same age as me.  I don’t know if it’s because I’m just that much more aware of things now. But that hit me. Hard. So, over spring break and some of the other guys I run track with went into the city to pay him a visit in the city, at Comer Children’s Hospital in the University of Chicago medical complex.

Hey look! A Picture! Not of the exact hospital he was in, but same complex.

And he was still the same, sarcastic Kyle he’s always been, flirting with nurses, giving one of the guys a hard time about who he was dating, and swearing at the machines randomly beeping behind him.  Cancer has obviously cropped up as a roadblock for him (to make an egregious understatement), but I can guarantee you if there’s a way for him to be at Warped Tour with an IV drip in tow, he’ll be there.  It was a nice visit, and hopefully I’ll be able to see him before we leave in May (hopefully he’ll be out of the hospital and back at home by then), but the thing is that after chatting with him for a few hours,  the other guys and I got to leave. We’re back at school, dodging snow and soaking up sun, but Kyle’s in a room on the sixth floor of a hospital in Chicago. Cancer returns to our background, but it’s the only ground Kyle has right now, and no part of that is fair. Again, maybe part of the reason I find myself thinking about Kyle and his cancer now is because he’s my age and a friend of mine,  maybe it’s because I’m older now and can appreciate how terrible of a situation it is, more so than when I was younger. But then I remember that freshman year, one of the girls in my grade, in the same band as me, who took piano lessons from the same teacher I did when were little, and who I was in class with in elementary school and junior high, was also diagnosed with leukemia (around the same time her father passed away from stomach cancer). Someone I saw every day, someone the same age as me. It should have hit closer to home, but I don’t remember being unsettled by it. Maybe it was because she had to leave school so I didn’t see her every day any more, maybe it was because I was busy with other things, or maybe it was because I was young and stupid, I don’t know. But it light of everything I know, it bothers me that I don’t remember feeling affected by it. I let her slip into the background. I shouldn’t have, but I did. Eventually Faith was able to beat the cancer into remission, but in the meantime her younger brother was diagnosed with leukemia, the third member of her family to be diagnosed with cancer in just a few years. Later, her's came back. It’s not fair to have cancer, and it’s a travesty to have it hit one family so hard. About a week or so ago, Faith went into surgery for an infection in her spine. And this morning I learned that she's passed away. When I read it this morning I felt like a semi hit me in the stomach. It’s been years since I’ve seen her, but it doesn’t matter. There’s nothing quite the same as learning someone you grew up with, someone who’s still a kid, lost their life, when they did nothing to deserve it. There’s more I want to say about that, but I can’t think of how to say it. Sometimes the electricity in your brain doesn’t move your mouth or fingers in the right way to make it presentable to others, but there’s a certain power of being at a loss for words that says more than you could ever hope to. But it’s things like this that change the focus of day to day life. They make it clear as to what actually matters, and what doesn’t. It makes you feel guilty for complaining about a class or school work or waking up early because we’re lucky to be able to do any of those things at all. And as easy as it is for cancer, or any disease, or anything that stands in the way of people living their lives to fall into the background, it’s the last thing that should. And I’m not sure what the best way to fix that is, but I suppose what we’re doing in the Illini 4000 can only help. I realize this is really long, and I offer bonus points to anyone who’s made it to the end of this blog-novella (the word post doesn’t quite seem applicable any more).  They’re worth less than sea-shells, but they’re yours now, and I suppose if you present me with them at some time I’ll give you a handshake or play you a song or some such thing. Anyway, so even though you stop noticing them after around number three, I went back and counted the number of trains that go by Elwood’s apartment in that Blues Brother’s scene. There are 11. And each one of them, whether you notice it or not, is going somewhere.  Somewhere important to whoever is on that train. 

Spring is in the air?

Last week, riders went home for spring break, enjoying some time away from school. We've now raised over $60k, but we're still working hard to reach our goal of $150k!Although today is a snow day at UIUC, this weekend, we will have our first training ride: a 30 mile ride to Homer Lake! The team is excited to get out on the roads for the final leg of team training!April will be filled with I4K events, old and new. On April 7th, Illini 4000 president, Greg Colten will be participating in the UIUC Ted Talk!Well also be having our annual Portraits Gallery on Saturday 4/6 at 6pm at the YMCA (1001 S. Wright St, Champaign)! We are excited to share the stories of many of the people we have met over the years, and we hope to see you there!Stay tuned for more news!

Alumni Buddy Potluck

Yesterday, 2013 riders met some I4K alumni at the rider buddy potluck dinner! Past riders are paired up with current riders, serving as a resource, or buddy, helping their buddies prepare for the summer. Here they are enjoying some homemade grub!Thank you to all the I4K alumni who helped make this happen!

One Crazy Week!

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!

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.

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.

2024 Team Fundraising Total: $60,000

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