Meet Our Ride Coaches! 

Your Greater NYC Chapter is excited to introduce our 2022 Ride to Cure Diabetes Coaches! Our coaches provide support to our riders, help set goals, and assist with training plans as requested. Your physical and mental health are more important now than ever and we believe that continuing to stay active will help with both. We encourage you to continue riding, as your local guidelines and your safety allow or even ride indoors. If you have any questions about training, registering, or joining us this season please feel to reach out directly to one of our coaches, or our JDRF Staff- Sara Trimble, Strimble@jdrf.org

Charles Doran: Greenwich, CT-  Type 1 diabetes is a personal fight for our coach Charles. 35 years ago, the Dorans became a diabetic family, when their son Tony, then aged 8, was diagnosed.  Since then, Tony has had to self-administer over 33,000 blood tests and injections. Tony has experienced too many diabetes-related medical events, but despite that has lived a very full life.  In addition to being a dedicated rider, Charles also is on the Greater NYC Chapter Board. Charles and his family will continue riding and raising awareness for JDRF until Tony, and all other children, no longer have to go through blood tests and injections.
Contact: charles.doran@gmail.com

Mikael Hanson: NYC, NY-  Mikael Hanson, a USA Cycling and USA Triathlon certified coach, has worked in a head coaching capacity with institutions such as Asphalt Green and Cadence Cycling and Multisport. Mikael has been published in numerous periodicals such as Bicycling, Triathlete, and Outside magazines.  

Over his many years of coaching, Mikael has been fortunate to work with athletes of all ages and abilities from first-timers and CEOs to National Champions even a World Champion. He currently coaches the New York University Cycling team, Columbia University, and the CRCA Development Foundation U23 Cycling Team. Mikael has worked with JDRF for many years, coaching their endurance athletes for events like the NYC Triathlon, NYC marathon, and Ride to Cure.  

Mikael primarily rides in Central Park and often heads over the GWB and rides along 9W to Piermont and Nyack.
Contact: enhancesports@aol.com

Michael DeVita: Norwalk, CT – Michael DeVita is an avid cyclist because of JDRF.  Diagnosed in 1995, he started doing some exercise to help his sugars. At that time he was on the Lay Review Committee for JDRF and colleague on the LRC suggested he do the ride. While it seemed impossible, he tried, completed it, and was hooked.  He has recruited about 100 family, friends, and others to the ride.  He has been a coach for 8  years. His favorite part of coaching is seeing the pure joy on the faces of those who have just completed their first century. Contact: Mdevita06@gmail.comNancy McManus: Poughkeepsie, NY – Nancy and her husband Tom became involved with the JDRF in 2000 after their son Scott passed away from complications of T1D. They were doing the Walks and Galas, just like many of you, but then they heard about RIDE- Game Changer!  

They have been involved with the JDRF Ride to Cure Diabetes program since 2003, and Nancy became a Coach in 2015. Nancy admittedly is not the fastest or strongest of cyclists, but assures you that she is one of the most passionate! That being said, Nancy loves riding with the Riders who are just starting out, teaching them the basics, reinforcing the Rules of the Road, and watching them grow into confident cyclists. Nancy looks forward to seeing them understand that not only are we in this together, but that JDRF is a FAMILY!
Contact: ntmcmanus@gmail.com
Charlie Lawrence: Ulster County, NY – Charlie has been a JDRF volunteer for 47 years; contributing to the formation of many JDRF chapters during the 70’s and 80’s. He is a former chapter board member and President, as well having served in Walk, Gala, and Advocacy activities including multiple trips to Washington DC for Legislative Weekends and congressional visits. He fell in love with the JDRF RIDE at Death Valley in 2002. Since then he has completed 25 rides, was awarded the JDRF Promise Jersey in 2015 at the LaCrosse Ride in recognition of 40 years of service on behalf of JDRF and became a Ride coach in 2016. Charlie’s late son Chad was diagnosed in 1974 at the age of 23 months and his daughter Melissa was diagnosed at the age of 25; resulting in 74 cumulative years of T1D parenting and a neverending commitment to turning type one into type NONE.
Contact: bikessdeathvalley@gmail.com