Letter from Paul about JDRF Ride to Cure Diabetes
Hi Everyone,
I’m on the plane coming back from my ride and I want to give you an update. For the most part… I made it, but I’ll explain that below.
I cannot even come close to explaining the impact this weekend had on me. Over 400 people with some connection to diabetes pushing and fighting their way through 100 long, hilly miles to combat diabetes. I was overwhelmed by the spirit and determination these people had. Yet, the spirit wasn’t targeted at riding 100 miles; the spirit was to rid the world of diabetes. There were so many inspirational moments that I could write 10 pages telling you about my experience. There was the family who has a friend with Juvenile Diabetes and owns bike shops. The entire family comes to every ride. They drive all over the course fixing bikes, at no charge, during the event. I met a young woman from Florida who was riding for her best friend who recently died of complications from the disease. Young diabetics all over the country sent personalized posters (“Go Paul, thanks for helping us”) which JDRF staffers affixed to our hotel room doors prior to our arrival. Volunteers rode up and down the 100 mile course ringing cowbells and yelling “great job, keep it up.” Every time this happened, I thought of it as a gift to Marc. The ride was truly about raising money and defeating this disease. The Vermont ride raised over $1.3 million dollars.
Once again, I must tell you that along with the posters, cowbells and cheering, you are such a big part of what inspired me. Every single one of you donated money that could have been used for something else. Thank you so very much.
OK, the ride. First, the weather was incredible and I don’t mean that in a good way. Remnants from the hurricane from the Southeast merged with a storm blowing in from the Midwest to create terrible riding conditions. It rained hard for the first 35 miles (and much of the last 43) and the temperature was in the mid 50s. Many times I thought of lying to each of you and just saying I did the ride, but I pushed on. The course was absolutely beautiful, but as Vermont tends to be, it certainly was hilly through out the ride. There were only 2 areas that were incredibly difficult. At mile 48, there was a 14 mile stretch that was uphill most of the way. About two-thirds into this segment, there was a very steep hill that most said was the most challenging part of the entire course. Fortunately, I made it. At mile 88, we had a quick rest stop and then set out for the last 12 miles, also straight uphill. After riding gradual inclines for about 6 miles, there were 3 more extremely steep hills. At this point, I just couldn’t get up the 1st or 3rd of those hills so I had to walk about ½ mile. After that, I finished the rest of the gradual climb to the top, riding a total of about 99 ½ miles. At the end, there were over 100 people hooting and hollering as each rider crossed the finish line.
As a salesman, I can never stop selling, so here it goes. Part of our weekend was spent looking at where your money will go and the specific type of projects that JDRF funds. I was so impressed with the percentage of contributions that go directly to research and the causes that JDRF supports. As an example, there’s a former MIT scientist who is doing amazing work on a new “smart insulin” that time releases as the body needs it. Although possibly ten years away from market, this could be a wonderful bridge until a cure is found. Banks and private funds were unwilling to take a chance on such a project so JDRF contributed $17 million dollars to start the research.
One of JDRF’s problems is that most Type 1s look fine and the disease’s complications aren’t known by many people who don’t have a personal connection. Unfortunately, Type 1s very often have severe complications as they get older and the average life span for juvenile diabetics is 10 years less than normal. By the way, JDRF also finances research for Type 2 diabetes which affects millions of people. The reason I am telling you all this is simple. Whenever you see a business donating proceeds to JDRF, a change jar in a store or your next door neighbor walking in a walk-a-thon, feel comfortable in knowing that your contribution is going to a great cause. We WILL find a cure.
It may be a little while until I jump back on the treadmill or ride my bicycle, but I plan on doing another ride next year. I plan on continuing to fight for Marc and everyone else affected by diabetes. Thank you for fighting along side me. Trust me, during the hills and rain, I was thinking about all of you (especially the ones who would make fun of me forever if I quit!)
From me and my family, thank you for your support,
Paul