Two wheels have always been my thing. Whether bicycles or motorcycles, two wheels are where it’s at.

At 40 years old, I had been racing motorcycles for more than a decade. A crash and some serious injuries ended my amateur racing efforts, and my life became focused on recovery and physical therapy for several years, just to regain a semblance of normal function in my life. Injuries to my body made any physical activity beyond walking nearly impossible. I gained weight, eating and drinking too much to take my mind off my troubles. In 2016 I weighed 325 lbs and was diagnosed with Type II diabetes. My doctor told me that I needed to make some serious changes or I would not be able to see my young daughter graduate from high school. This was a wakeup call, and it knocked me out of the denial I had been fooling myself with for 8 years.

I made a lot of changes and by early 2017, I had lost nearly 100 pounds. I was ready for a new challenge. A good friend from my teens told me about Levi’s Gran Fondo, and it seemed like a good goal. Getting back on a bicycle after nearly 20 years was a challenge but having a carrot to chase made all the difference. My first ride was 10 miles, and it was really difficult. I persevered, and by September I was riding nearly 50 miles at a time and felt great!

As the Fondo approached, an email caught my attention that described the King Ridge Fundraising program. There were some fun incentives, and so I said to myself, “Why not? Let’s see what happens.” By the time the event arrived, I had raised almost $1800, and was in the top 15 fundraisers. The feeling of giving something back to a great cause that had helped motivate me was very satisfying. The ride was great, it was a real adventure, even if some of the climbs got the better of me. It felt great to be able to ride like the old days and helping out a really worthy charity made it even better.

Since 2017, I have been involved with LGF each year and continued to fundraise with great success.

The 2023 event is approaching in April. So today, I’m asking you to join me and help at-risk youth by donating to my efforts. There’s still plenty of time to make a big difference in the lives of kids who need it, and no matter the amount you can donate, it all helps. Here are some of the life-changing programs that the King Ridge Foundation supports: Forget Me Not Farm, The B-Rad Foundation, Outride, Social Advocates for Youth and CASA of Sonoma County.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story and thank you for donating to a very worthy cause, one that I really believe in!