“Sitting in the hospital with my daughter after crying for hours, getting angry and all the other emotions that come with a T1D diagnosis, a volunteer from JDRF delivered a “Bag of Hope.”  That bag was the first sign of hope, and reassurance that we were not alone. I started researching JDRF and all that it does and that week I knew I had to do something to help raise funds for JDRF, support my daughter and all the people living with T1D. The Ride to Cure program seemed like a perfect fit for me except for a few minor things. I didn’t have a bike and I hadn’t ridden a bike more than 5 miles in 20 years. Looking back to that day, I see now that my involvement with JDRF has given me and my family a sense of purpose – and the knowledge, friendships, and camaraderie gained along the way is immeasurable. I never expected to gain all of this in exchange for what I’m giving, all in effort to find a cure.”

Age: 49

Rides participated in: 1 – 2014 Tucson, AZ

Miles already ridden for JDRF: 104 miles. Over 2500 miles training, this ride thing and finding a cure is addicting.

Riding in 2015: Death Valley, October.

Connection to T1D/who I’m riding for: Riding for Paige, my daughter, 15 years old who was diagnosed at 14, the day after Thanksgiving.