The time has finally come! The winner of the Scott & BR Cycling Challenge will be announced tomorrow around 6:45 a.m. on xx1090 AM Sports Radio. Tune in or listen online here.
Win or lose, I'm truly grateful for the many opportunities this contest has afforded me.
While I'd been a CAF supporter and known about the Qualcomm Million Dollar Challenge for years, I would never have believed it possible to achieve the $10K minimum fundraising requirement to participate. The contest removed that initial intimidation and allowed me to meet some wonderful people I now count as friends, to get even more excited about doing the actual ride from San Francisco to San Diego, and to be inspired by some amazing people--some who benefit from--some who raise money for--(and some both)--the Challenged Athletes Foundation.
Teamwork among the Scott & BR contestants has been phenomenal--inspiring and effective. Each of us has worked hard and made many sacrifices to make it this far and I'm proud that we have been able to raise over $50K as a group. I myself am just shy of the $10K mark and feel sure that I will reach my $10K goal by the start of the ride on Oct. 17. And none of this would have happened without the contest!
The contest has also forced me to reconsider some pre-conceived notions about myself and to step out of my comfort zone in many, MANY areas. Knowing I was supporting something much bigger than myself allowed me to think "big," to overcome my aversion to asking for money, asking for help, accepting help. I was able to overcome my Facebook-a-phobia. I learned to blog. I spoke to large groups of people. I learned to not take rejection personally, and the pleasure of unexpected kindness and generosity. I learned that hard work and discipline are still rewarded and that sometimes the whole really IS greater than the sum of its parts. I was reminded of the joy of giving and the strange phenomenon where you get back what you give and then some. I learned that I AM strong...and not just physically. I can honestly say that I'm a better person as a result of this experience.
To this point, I've had experiences and gained friendships I'll treasure for a lifetime. A wonderful cake. The ride from San Francisco to San Diego will be the icing. I can't wait! And knowing that all of this supports folks with physical challenges getting back on track to an active lifestyle makes it all the sweeter...the cherry on top.
Sincere thanks to my teammates and friends: Adam, Alex, Brian, Joe, Rob M., Rob L., Mark, Pat, Ofelia, and Efrain; to our fearless leader Mike H. who has gone above and beyond time and again in helping us and CAF out in a variety of capacities; to all the folks from CAF...especially Vikki (please forgive me for all I've put you through!); to my mom, family and friends for your exceptional support throughout this journey; and last, but certainly not least, to Scott and BR and xx1090 for making the contest possible and for using the airwaves to spread the word about CAF and the good work they do.
Until tomorrow...over and out.
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