Amidst watching and editing a few Portraits from past rides this Sunday night, words spoken by those deeply affected by cancer that we were able to capture on video really spoke to me. There's so much more than meets the eye when dealing with cancer not only firsthand, but caring for someone going through such a physically and mentally exhausting experience. We're a team of capable, young, and kinetic students tapping into the difficulties of people affected by cancer. In the loneliness that inevitably comes along with cancer, the Illini 4000 these past seven summers has been able to do something noteworthy for those individuals and shown them that their not alone. There are so many others like ourselves that have taken a stand against cancer in their own unique way. Being part of the eighth Illini 4000 team will without a doubt be rewarding in a multitude of ways, and I can't wait to come out of this summer knowing that I was part of such an ambitious and powerful organization. Thanks for reading my first blog (of many)!
Burning
Today is the calm before the storm; the cloudy, breezy 32 degrees waiting to dump many inches of snow upon the Midwest. So I rode. Today being the first real ride, I was nervous at first, but this is about overcoming fears for me, overcoming that which I did not think I could do. I rode 7 miles and it was fantastic!Yet you might be wondering about the title of this blog. You have realized by now that it is not burning hot outside, although zero Celsius could be considered a nice change from the frigid temps earlier this week. Think of my bike's name: Phoenix. What happens to phoenixes that makes them special? They are immortal. Describing Fawkes from Harry Potter, one wiki page explains "He periodically died by bursting into flames (an event called a 'Burning Day'), and was then reborn from the ashes." Burning Day was Tuesday.Nothing out of the ordinary, I was just bringing my other campus bike inside from the snow, and admiring Phoenix when I noticed something was not quite right. Bringing Phoenix into the light, I became concerned, seeing a small crack by the notch in the seat tube. The crack was only about 4mm long and seemed to be under the finish, but I knew this was not right. It's that small worm of panic that perhaps it's your fault, possibly, there will be no solution, that a precious possession has met its end far too soon. Connor brought it to the bike shop as Shiqi and I tried on cycling clothes (also super exciting!). Then all the professionals gathered around, arguing whether the crack was just the paint or was actually a problem. "What's the verdict?" I asked anxiously. The answer was shocking to me: We're going to replace the frame with your warranty; come back Saturday for your bike. So that's what I did.In the mean time, I had my first cycling lesson in the basement of ARC's cycling studio. I wore bike shorts for the first time; goodness, they're super comfy. Then I bought a trainer from Ashley. It's a wind-powered stand I can put my bike on to practice indoors with varying resistance levels. Super discount! Winning. :) Also it's very noisy but that's fine because I can use it in the basement. Looking forward to that!Fast-forward to today: I got my bike back, and it's the same color and size, with all fitting adjustments back to precisely the way they were set up before this week. Although I didn't have the opportunity to burn the old frame (haha that would have been rather epic), I consider this hiccup to be a blessing. I am very grateful to have found the crack in the frame. It was probably an assembly error, due to over-tightening of the seatpost clamp around the tube, maybe without the post in. For those of you who are wondering why a tiny crack resulted in me receiving an entirely new frame, you must understand the nature of carbon fiber. A small amount of damage can compromise the stability of the whole bicycle, so I am quite grateful to have noticed the fissure when I did.Well that's about all for now. I have taken a much-needed week off from fundraising, and am looking forward to more training and riding! Stay warm!
A two wheeled vehicle with a purpose
After quite sometime of deliberating (ever since signing up for the Illini 4000 back in September, about 6 months), I finally decided on a bike.
The bike is a Trek CrossRip and is designed for cyclo-cross; it should be more than able handle the 4000+ cross-country journey. More importantly, it was the silverly grey color of the clear coated aluminum, which I specifically selected as a dedication (see link to prior post about ribbons) to a close family friend (the father of my best friend) who is battling brain cancer like a true champion. In addition, I selected the red water bottle cages because it is my best friend's favorite color and perfectly goes together with the red painted accents on the bike, just like my best friend and the father. I will be incorporating other symbolic colors in the near future (e.g., lavender, orange, black, and lime).Also, I have been trying to keep in mind that this contraption is going to be my primary vehicle of transportation taking me clear across the USA from the Big Apple to the City by the Bay. It did not dawn on me until I actually sat in the saddle of the bike for a prolonged period of time during the initial bike fitting (more on this later) that I was completed overwhelmed with emotions of concern and nervousness. Typically, I have always been very selective on the days I bike ride for commuting around town. If it is too cold, hot, windy, rainy or if I just do not feel like riding, I always would opt out. However, during the 72 days of the Illini 4000 journey I will not have the luxury of choosing the "perfect" days to ride, and I will be exposed to all of nature's splendor for the entire 72 days. There will be no nice windshield or roof to protect me from the elements (sun, wind, rain, hail, etc.), no air conditioning to offset the temperatures, no radio to help pass the time, and no engine other than my own body to move this precisely crafted small collection of aluminum, plastic, and rubber at speeds of ~15 mph for 4000+ miles across mountains, deserts, hills, prairies, farmlands, and forests under whatever elements mother nature decides to provide that day. The very thought is humbling, rather intimidating, and seemingly impossible, but it is often said "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."― Lao Tzu, or in this case, I can say: "The journey of four thousand miles begins with a single turn of the pedals."
You learn something new every day
Before joining the Illini 4000 team and becoming knowledgeable about all the various cancers through team presentations, I would see the pink ribbons and instantly associate it with breast cancer awareness. However, I was completely naive to the fact that each form of cancer has its own color associated for it. See image below from a PDF via the Relay for Life website: http://relay.acsevents.org/site/DocServer/ribbon_color_chart_printable.pdf?docID=208789 (link to printable PDF)
What a surprise, and how true this statement is "You learn something every day if you pay attention". ~Ray LeBlond
It is odd how one tiny seed of information can have such a profound impact on your entire perspective. I will definitely keep these colors in mind and try to incorporate them in various ways as I prepare for the ride (say tuned...).
Also, is it just me, but I find it very strange that I do not see more Lavendar colored ribbons everywhere and in conjunction with the specific form of cancer at various events. Perhaps because I was not aware, I was blind to the fact. From now on, I will definitely take note and be more observant of interconnections in our world. Fellow "Culture of Man" course alumni at the Univeristy of Louisiana, Dr. Patricia K. Rickels, and Dr. John R. Meriwether should be proud :)
Still Celebrating.
Three years ago this week, my grandma was taken by breast cancer. Today is her birthday. And I am still celebrating.Not too many hours ago, I was walking around Newmark, the Civil Engineering building, standing in lines and talking to recruiters, attempting to find a job for after graduation this May. The night before, I was up late finishing homework assignments and essays and researching companies. Before that, there were meetings and classes. Each day there are a plethora of things that keep me busy, but when I'm driving for awhile or walking to class or eating a meal at home, I often think of my grandma.I remember how she was always positive no matter the situation (something I try to emulate), and she was constantly willing to sit for a card game or drive across town to have lunch with me. When I was younger she would stay overnight with me when my parents and siblings were away. Once, there was a severe thunderstorm going on and she came over earlier than necessary because I was freaking out (my fear of tornadoes has only somewhat decreased since then...). She gave so much of her time to others.My grandma was an extremely giving and loving person. And so when her birthday rolls around each year, I think of her best qualities and our best times. I can no longer celebrate with her in person, but that doesn't mean there's no celebration to be had. I celebrate the fact that she made the world a better place, and I celebrate by trying to show the people around me the same love that she always showed the people she knew. I celebrate the person I was able to become because of her.As I take part in the Illini 4000, I can celebrate further in each lap I make around the track in training and in each mile I will bike across the States. This journey will celebrate all of the birthdays that will be saved by cancer research. It will celebrate the people we have lost in that we ride for them. It will celebrate the precious lives that all of us have, the struggles and challenges we face, and the strength and perseverance and love that we share. This ride is about change, about hope, about community, and about each individual touched by cancer. That's something we can all celebrate.Happy birthday Grandma. 
A new perspective on bean counting
Based on my prior post, I though this short YouTube video entitled " The Time You Have (in JellyBeans)" was very relevant and helps to provide a unique visual perspective.To see the video, click this link: http://youtu.be/BOksW_NabEk
All that Glitters
Each week at our team meetings there's a fun question that we all answer upon signing in. Yesterday's question was, "If everyday tasks were Olympic sports, what would you win gold in?" My answer to this question was, "Watching the Olympics." My roommates and I recorded each day's primetime coverage (we're still in our 6 month DVR free trial and its awesome) and became experts at being at least marginally productive while doing homework in front of the television. With all the athletic sliding, jumping, and twisting happening it became difficult to suppress daydreams of my own upcoming athletic endeavor with the Illini 4000. I started thinking about how the Olympics and Illini 4000 are related aside from the obvious parallel that they both involve getting into pretty decent physical shape.The unity the Olympic Games create throughout countries and the entire world has always been remarkable to me. Amid political controversy and differences in beliefs, these Olympics seemed to be just as much about sport as they were about a people trying to unite with the rest of the world and communicate that they're not so different from the rest of us. The opening and closing ceremonies centered around the rich Russian history that often fails to be acknowledged under the shadow of other issues. What do a bunch of skiers and snowboarders have to do with this? I suppose to me it just goes to show that sport is something that puts everyone on the same level. To make a really terrible pun, (no shame.) sports keep the people of the world on a level playing field.This idea of the unification sports create became even clearer after hearing a wonderful speaker by the name of Jean Driscoll last Friday night. You can learn more about Ms. Driscoll on her website, but to make a long story short, she's the definition of a role model: Humble, sincere, and charismatic. She has also won the Boston Marathon 8 years in a row, broke the world record in it 5 times, and has won 2 Olympic medals and 12 Paralympic medals. In a wheelchair. She's labeled by society as someone with a "disability" but has accomplished things those considered "able bodied" can't even dream of. And what, you might ask, helped her overcome the challenges of being different while growing up? You guessed it! Sports. Being athletic. Playing basketball, competing in track, and later marathons. Everybody can relate to the experiences that athletic competition has to offer no matter how you propel yourself.So perhaps "All that glitters is not gold" isn't just a saying. Flashy medals and billowing flags cause us to stand tall, but the true Olympic gold and Illini 4000 finish aren't about winning the race, but instead embody the raw connection of people to sport and what it means to do something by way of your own body. We can't all pull a 900 on the half pipe or bike 100 miles a day, but we all have bodies and can all understand what it means to sacrifice comfort and work as hard as physically possible in order to achieve something truly worthwhile.P.S. Jean Driscoll actually let us touch her Olympic medals. I freaked.P.P.S. Is it too late for me to become a biathlete?P.P.P.S. Sorry for all the awful cliches I used in this post... but sometimes they just work, you know?P.S.S.S.S. Is it P.P.P.P.S. or P.S.S.S.S.?
Firsts
In the past 2 days, I've been through a whirlwind of fabulous experiences which have left me astonished and grateful. Friday, Ryan and I had a build-your-own cupcake sale on the quad. He made amazing frosting, I made 125 cupcakes, and we raised just under $300! But of the 4 hours we spent outside of the Union, yelling at people to eat our sweets, no half-hour was better spent than the time that I met a certain graduate student. A man using a cane came up to my table, asking what our cupcake sales are for. Then he shared that he had just finished up chemo last year. Naturally, I expected to hear his story and gently asked what kind of cancer he had. What followed was a surprise to me and is an encounter I’ll never forget. He told me he had been diagnosed with a type of multi-tumor sarcoma and his ankle and foot had been amputated the day after his birthday. He is the first amputee I’ve ever met. He showed me his prosthetic leg, and we proceeded to have a interesting conversation about fittings of different stages of prosthetics, the emotional impact of limb loss, and the physical therapy involved in rehab. As many of you may know, I plan to become a prosthetist when I finish my education. The combination of cancer and amputations/prosthetics made for an interesting conversation and a moving story. I ponder the fact that I’ve never met and talked to an amputee before and I truly appreciate the opportunity to meet this student.Yesterday (Saturday) was a beautiful day, until it started snowing in the evening. I was debating whether or not to try out my new bike, and I wanted to put flats on it because the cleats in the shoes somewhat terrify me. However, I couldn’t figure out how to change out the pedals, so I decided it was time to give my bike a shot. First time out the front door… what a beautiful day to learn to ride a bike! I walked Phoenix carefully all the way down to Florida Avenue, and then situated myself on a wide sidewalk which had grass on the side. Wow, I thought. This was a daunting task. I had to put my feet into those pedals and not fall over. So naturally, I didn’t plan ahead by reading up on clipless pedals, but was winging it on my own ideas. Here’s a website which would have been useful to have read beforehand: http://wheelswhisper.blogspot.com/p/getting-started-with-clipless-pedals.html. I clipped in my right foot for the first time and tried to swing my leg over. It wasn’t happening so I proceeded to straddle the top tube. Much better. Runners ran by as I stood there struggling for fifteen minutes. Eventually, I went through a long line of firsts: First time clipping one foot into my bike. First time tipping over on my bike. First time biking; going somewhere! First time unclipping my left foot successfully. First time clipping both feet without too much confusion and effort. First time going around a curve. First time biking a half-mile consecutively. My favorite one: first time totally falling over in front of people. “I’m fine! I’m just trying to learn how to ride this thing!” Yeah, it was a challenge. But now I feel a lot better about biking with cleats. It has been demoted from impossible to somewhat difficult. Falling over just twice for my first time riding Phoenix: not too bad.I’d like to thank everyone for your continued support and generous donations!
Why I Ride: Alex Massey
Name: Alex MasseyMajor: Political ScienceYear of Ride: 2012 I first heard about Illini 4000 in the booklet Illinois sends all accepted students. I thought it was the most amazing adventure I've ever heard of; it still is. The directors seemed so encouraging and the entire idea was so crazy I couldn't say no.I learned so much from my experience. There's something about pulling your team through a hard day that sticks with you. I remember biking through the Columbia River Gorge, something I would not recommend to anyone, and thinking that my team was counting on me, that I couldn't let them down. That part of the ride really made me think of others much more in just about everything I do and has made me a much more team-oriented person.Hearing stories from those affected by cancer also definitely changed my perspective of the disease dramatically. Interviewing those who had been through so much pain and loss really put a personal touch to the statistics behind cancer that you hear from so many organizations and in the news, at least for me, and made me consider how universal the experience can be. That definitely made the cause more personal to me.I also witnessed generosity on an unbelievable scale, from people just donating at gas stations to stayovers providing entire meals to smelly, sweaty bikers just trying to do good. The ride changed my view of people in a pretty dramatic way.
A simple fundamental question
It is often said that “Hindsight is 20/20” in which one is able to obtain clarity from difficult situations. This is wonderful for personal growth, however there is one rather large unfortunate drawback: one has to first experience the hardship. Furthermore, one is often in a muddled mental state during the hardship which exponentially compounds the negative feelings/emotions (e.g., helplessness, anger, and despair) which in turn directly impacts our actions (almost always negatively) during these trying times.
Since hindsight is based on historical events and it is more tangible, it is often easier for one to process than foresight. With fleeting moments of hope and intangible potential outcomes based on predicted events, one can quickly find themselves lost in a forest of uncertainty, doubt, and despair, unable to develop and/or maintain the required foresight and proper perspective to help guide them through the forest.
It is not that foresight will help you avoid or quickly escape difficult and trying times, however, by allowing yourself to develop proper foresight and positive perspective, it is akin to getting a 10,000-ft bird’s eye view of your location in the forest and which can help guide you through with some sense of comfort and hopefully minimizing poor choices in direction, time and energy expended as well as any regrets when looking back.
With this in mind, I feel it is imperative when faced with difficult and trying times to take time to develop a proper plan, intent, and end goal (what could be thought of as a map of the forest that is before you as well as a picture of the end destination) which provides a fundamental foundation for developing and maintaining the proper perspective. It is also important to be aware of your negative feelings/emotions and try not to let them cloud your mind of developing positive perspectives. Some times the resulting map is fuzzy or incomplete, which is completely fine and should not instill panic. Often, the mere fact of simply knowing that a map exists will do wonders in helping maintain a proper perspective and as time progresses you can always fill in more details.
It is this plan that will allow you to hold the course and help you to seek positive influences and guidance from friends, family, and life experiences despite how thick the forest might get or how lost the cause might feel. It my short time on this planet, I have had my share of numerous unfortunate circumstances and events, but I have also seen (or was made aware of) countless times in which a person’s capacity for tenderness, compassion, and pure raw determination to do selfless acts for the benefit of a person/people in need never seizes to amaze. This person’s drive might seem unwarranted or foolish to the untrained eye (i.e., one that has never experienced that situation first-hand before), but these are the events that shape, mold, and refine a person. In the end, it is entirely up to you as to how you choose your final form to be: highly polished reflecting light and illuminating the dark parts people and the world or jaded and jagged harming all those that come into contact with you. It is so unfortunate that the news, media, and humanity so frequently focus and dwell on the negative aspects, biasing our view points and leading us to quickly discount and/or completely ignore our opportunities to experience and be positively impacted by another person’s act of kindness and compassion. It is best to frequently ask yourself a simple fundamental question that Dr. Randy Pausch stated so concisely and eloquently: “When we're connected to others, we become better people” and although “We cannot change the cards we are dealt, [we can control] only how we play the hand”; “The key question to keep asking is, Are you spending your time on the right things? Because time is all you have. ”
A Milestone... of the sort
The other evening, after eating dinner I had two options: go to CRCE to run or wash my dishes. Neither activity quite qualifies as a favorite pastime of mine, but in the end, I would have to do both. So which would I do first? Which was the lesser of two evils? Running was. Leaving my dirty dishes to wait in the sink until I returned, I put on my gym clothes and headed to CRCE. As I walked out the door I realized: I had passed a milestone. I now dread running less than I dread washing the dishes. To call it a “milestone” might be a slight exaggeration, but hey, it’s something, right?Running has never been a favorite activity of mine. Even when I was on the track team in junior high school, I dreaded both practices and meets. But back then, I didn’t have much motivation. Why run? At that age, physical fitness was the least of my worries. Sure, it was good to be involved with extracurricular activities, but there were other activities I didn’t dread. I enjoyed hanging out with my friends who were also on the track team, but I could hang out with them anytime. Once I entered high school, I gave up on track.Riding a bike 4000+ miles from New York City to San Francisco, meeting people at every stop along the way, raising money to find a cure for cancer, hearing the stories of those affected by cancer through the Portrait’s Project, letting those people know that we are there to support them, and getting to spend the summer with 19 awesome fellow Illini. These are the things motivate me to run now and they have proved to be quite effective. Each week, as I get a little less out-of-shape, I find it easier to push myself a little bit harder than I was able to the previous week. Even though you still might hear me say how much I “hate running”, I have to admit: I think it’s starting to grow on me… Maybe.
Who Lives in a Pineapple Under the Sea!?
Today, if this thing called cancer did not exist, my cousin would still be here. She would be 25 and probably have an amazing career, a family, or checked off item 18 on her bucket list. Sadly, this isn’t the case. But I don’t like to mourn today, or any day.In her short 16 years, she lived, she laughed, and she loved like no other. We had few memories together because she lived 2,000 miles away but all I hear from those memories are childlike giggles and feel a lightness about life that is contagious to this day.She was four years older but she brought out the child in me (because really, I’ve been 82 since the day I was born). I think back to our time together, when I would see her youthful spirit and I feel warm with a childlike innocence. I want to watch Spongebob, blow bubbles, and eat tons and tons of candy. It’s nice to feel this. Especially as a real adulthood looms ever so near.So today Nancy, I embrace that spirit of yours. I’ll kick off my shoes, throw on my dancing monkey with a santa hat jammies and watch Saturday morning cartoons. And yes, we can’t forget the candy, especially can’t forget the candy.And I leave you with this.
99 Days - Down to Double Digits
Yesterday marked exactly 100 days until we leave New York on our first ride day for Illini 4000. I like to live my life in anticipation of what's about to happen next, so I've kept these types of countdowns for a while now.Despite having such high expectations for these singular moments, a lot of times it's the moments without a countdown that I remember most. For example, graduating high school was cool and all, but it's not like anyone actually remembers the ceremony. We remember the stupid jokes we used to tell each other, how we used to stay after school just to hang out, and where we sat in the lunchroom as we gossiped about stuff that really doesn't matter anymore.The point is, while Illini 4000 is 99 days away, there are so many little things that will make getting there even better. And with that, here are my 10 To-Dos over the next hundred or so days. 1. Get a bike. I literally can't get across the country unless I have one of these, and I have a feeling the hand-me-down sitting in my garage might not be the best choice. 2. Learn to ride safely. I would love to not get hit by a car this summer. 3. Ride Further. The furthest I've ridden a bike is around the Glen, past the Glenview Police Fortress, down Lake and back to my house. Considering we'll be doing about 10x that amount a day, I think I'll need to put in a few training rides. A couple maybe. 4. Buy all the accessories. If you think that its just a helmet, you're wrong. 5. Finish my second half. After this, it'll be like I've run a full marathon... in 2 parts... exactly a year apart. 6. Get straight-A's. I'm really not taking that many classes. This really shouldn't be too hard. 7. Go bowling in the Union. I feel like this is on some kind of classic U of I bucketlist. Someone come with me. 8. Pass 2 CPA exams. I should probably get around to studying for them too. 9. Graduate. What?! 10. Fundraise. Speaking of which, have you donated yet? If not, you should :)Countdown or no countdown, before I know it, I'll be hopping on a train to New York on the start of a crazy adventure. I'm sure there will be a lot of awkward/hilarious/exciting moments before then, but then again, that's what this blog is for, and I'm excited to keep you all filled in :).
100 days or so???
Right now I'm just sitting in my room doing some homework so don't expect anything exciting from my inaugural blog post. Anyways, all I really wanted to say was "Thank you!" I want to thank my parents and brothers for their support. I want to thank all of my donors, not matter how much you donated (If you still haven't, donate now!). I want to thank the team for allowing me to be part of this amazing group.Besides plenty of fundraising, weekly meetings and training's, there is not much to blog about from my point of view. It's absolutely unbelievable that in 100 days or so 20 of us will be in New York City, ready to begin our journey across America. It would be pretty cool if we had a countdown until the trip on the homepage. Someone should do that. But, I digress. Clearly, as a team, we have bonded immensely and I'm excited for what's to come in 100 days! That's all I have to say about that. See you next blog post! Freshman Extraordinaire,Tyler "T-Bone" Levy
Oh yes. It's real.
There are one hundred and two days, fifteen weeks, twenty two hours, and (approximately) fifty two minutes until we hop on that bike saddle. 102 days!!!I find myself constantly repeating this hoping I can maybe, just maybe, finally grasp that this ride is actually happening. That's right. Five months into training and team events and it still hasn't hit me.I'm guessing (or hoping) that's a good thing because all my pent up excitement will boil over when I'm desperately trying to pedal up the roads of New York.Until then, I shall begin the search of my partner in crime (bike).
Phoenix
It's hard to believe that this day is finally here! Today I brought my bike home. It was a one-week wait from the time I bought this baby, to the time I brought it back to Stratford House. The fitting was a cool process which took about 3 hours, including shoes and pedals. A number of adjustments were made and now my bike is super comfy. As you may have guessed from the title of this blog posting, the bike's name is Phoenix. It is a Domane 4.5 WSD, which is a carbon fiber bike with higher-level components than those of the Lexa SLX, the aluminum bike I was originally looking at. I'm sorry that this posting is so brief but I just wanted to update you all that now I have a bike! And I'm kind of obsessed with it... This machine will bring me across America! Okay, that's all for now, more pictures coming later. :)
T-minus 105 days...
It is hard to believe that we only have 105 days until the start of the ride in the Big Apple. It feels like just yesterday that I remember receiving the acceptance email, though in reality it was back at the beginning of October 2013. It is funny how one's perception of time changes depending on the past, current, and/or future circumstances impacting one's life. On this note, I plan to devote my next blog post to further flushing out this thought. Stay tuned...
Filters and Dreams
Hello, blogiverse! So I, like most college-age people, am the victim of a smartphone addiction hanging treacherously on the edge of compulsive obsession. As much as I try to kick the habit of checking text messages and Twitter during class, I can't quite get it out of my system. Normally, this really bothers me, but today I'm thankful for where I ended up on my cellular device. Its not the most profound story by any means, but here's why:Instagram is a photo and video sharing application used mostly on smartphones. One can add artsy filters and effects to photos before posting, and the increasingly popular #hashtag is used to categorize them. I happen to quite like this app since my newsfeed is filled with hard-core bicycles, pretty dresses, marathoners, and food of all kinds. Anyway, the other day I got a new follower (one step closer to becoming internet famous, y'all!) with a bicycle inspired username. This peaked my interest and after checking out his profile and doing a few quick searches, I discovered that this man was also on an American bicycle journey to draw attention to several causes close to his heart. Each day pictures of his travels slide into view on my screen and as they do I think of how my own adventure is drawing closer and closer. Today, I left a comment on one of these posts thanking him for the inspiration and explaining very briefly about Illini 4000. The comment I received back got the gears in my head turning. He said, "I am so pleased to hear you are doing something so epic! Best wishes and keep us posted on your progress as you pursue your dreams.""...as you pursue your dreams." In the short time I have been involved in the Illini 4000 I've heard it described many ways. Amazing, crazy, kick-butt (use your imagination, folks), stupid, outrageous, life changing, and painful are only a few of the descriptions I've come across, and I'll admit "dream" was not one I expected to hear. In my current world of problem sets, exams, and emails, dreams are either what my degree is supposed to provide or something I'm too tired to remember. I mean, let's be honest, college is far from easy! However, we all know there's so much more to life than a 4.0 GPA and a $90k per year salary. On a deeper level my real dreams (and I'm sure I'm not the only one!) lie in the same place as where "more to life" can be found. Call me crazy, but I dream about prioritizing people; about making the world a better place. I dream about childish idealities that the proverbial "they" should have knocked out of me by now. World hunger? We could feed it. Poverty? We can pay it. Cancer? We can cure it. I dream in cliches and I am not ashamed! All of my teammates, I think, have to be somewhere on the same overzealous page as me to dedicate themselves to something as crazy, kick-butt, stupid, outrageous, painful, and dreamlike as Illini 4000.Because we're not just a bike ride, and we're not just a fundraiser. We're a bunch of crazy kids with enough reckless passion to act on our convictions and desert life as we know it because we care about the future of others, for goodness sakes! If that isn't dreaming I don't know what is.
Unwritten - The Start of an Adventure
Before I start this blogging adventure with you, here are five things you should know about me:1. My name is Kevin Daliva. I’m 22 years old. I’m a senior studying Accounting and Technology & Management.2. I tend to type how I talk. So if you ever start reading these posts out loud, make sure you do your best impression of me. Make sure you clear your throat a lot. I do that.3. This isn’t my first time blogging. I’ve had a few personal blogs, some private, some that I've shared with friends. I also used to have a Xanga where i wud tiPe LyKe DIS! That said, I think this is interesting in that it’s the first time that I'll be able to touch upon some more serious topics.4. I love puns. I also love what some have labeled “Dad Jokes.” Since we’re biking across the country, don’t be surprised if I pump a few in here. I hope you don't tire of them. Oops. Spoke too soon. Bike.5. I’m biking across the country. I'm biking with 20 other crazy college kids to raise money and awareness for cancer research. Along the way we interview people in the hopes of documenting “The American Cancer Experience.” But if you’re on our website right now, you probably know that. Feel free to check out blogs by other riders, our rider profiles, our route, and definitely donate to our cause!Expect a more substantial post coming next week, but for now, have a great weekend everyone. I can't wait to go on this adventure with all of you :)I am literally so excited.
Hey look! An I4K Blog!
So, I've never blogged before, but what else is new regarding I4K. I've never ridden my bike over 4000 miles either. Basically, this post is just me saying a huge thank you to everyone who has donated so far! I'm almost two-thirds done with fundraising, and am astounded with people's generosity. So again, thank you!!!Regarding I4K life, besides fundraising, I'm also on the hunt for the perfect bike (jk, lol- cheapest that won't fall apart). So the next week and a half will be me wandering aimlessly through Champaign Cycle pretending to know what I'm looking at :) . Wish me luck!Hope everyone is staying warm!