817-268-3650
Finish line 1
In this last installment on my Tahoe century ride, I’d like to share a very inspiring story.
As I rode through the breathtakingly beautiful course, there were many times that I connected emotionally with the other riders – without saying a word. At times, I would pass a fellow rider and notice they had attached a photo of a loved one on their back including the date they were born and the date they had passed on. I took the time to silently acknowledge each one as we passed one another.
Further into the ride, one person in particular left an enduring impression on all of us. Ten miles into the course was a section called the “switch backs”. This 7000 foot elevation ride up a mountain consisted of a very difficult vertical climb, combined with challenging areas to navigate where the road snaked back and forth all the way to the top. I began my climb and the physical difficulty set in. My legs cramped, my breathing quickened, and the occasional pang of anxiety crept in – knowing what I was faced with on a physical level.
At one point I looked up and noticed a lady who had pulled up in front of me. When I took a good look at this woman passing me on a vertical climb, I could hardly believe my eyes. She only had one leg! Yes you read that right – one leg. She did not even have the help of a prosthetic leg and she was able to pass me with ease! This was one of those moments when everything gets put into perspective very quickly. If I had any doubt that I could make that climb, in an instant that changed. I determined that if she could climb this mountain with one leg I could climb it with two. I was awe-struck – but definitely inspired!
My final “lesson learned from the road” was definitely gratitude. Gratitude for what you have, as opposed to focusing on what you don’t have. The lady with one leg who was so ready and willing to do this ride and climb those mountains is the best example of someone who focuses on what she can do instead of what she is not able to do.
Finish line 2
One of the core fundamentals for success that I outline in my new book, Roadmaps to Success is the ability to overcome adversity. When I saw this woman riding – so well! – with what most people would consider a handicap – or a disadvantage to say the least – it had to be the best possible demonstration of the belief that any obstacle can be overcome, no matter how difficult.
I wrote to her asking her for a little insight into her background and how she came to be such an incredible athlete with the use of only one leg. Here is her story:
I was diagnosed with a severe form of bone cancer, osteogenic sarcoma, in 1977 at the age of 11. Back then, the protocol was to amputate first (with a very large margin around the tumor) and then do Chemotherapy. I underwent a year of high dose chemo with alternate inpatient and outpatient treatments every month. The survival rate for that cancer at that time was a mere 10%, a fact that they neglected to tell us. Just as well! So after the year of chemo, I’ve never had a recurrence and 31 years later, I’m as likely to get cancer as anyone I suppose!
Adjusting to life with one leg was a challenge. I was an adolescent and that’s already a tortuous time of life, now add this to the mix and I became a very angry young lady. I never left home without the prosthesis and didn’t participate in sports other than the snow skiing and water skiing that my family did…. both of which I became good at. But all through Jr. High and High school, I was extremely self conscious about the missing leg and tried to be as “normal” as possible, which was quite an exhausting façade to keep up.
It was in college that I took an interest in swimming for fitness, which later became something I competed in at the National level. Along the way, throughout college and beyond graduation, I picked up hiking, rock climbing and started to realize that sports were the thing I really felt my best doing!
My swimming continued to be my main sport along with skiing until summer 2003 when I was challenged to try a sprint distance triathlon in Santa Barbara. It was while training for this that I discovered a love for the bike. After this first sprint tri, I continued cycling with a close friend who then led me to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training. It was January 2004 that I joined them for a short ride and before the day was over I’d committed to doing a Century in Lake Tahoe. Since then I’ve become an avid cyclist and completed 4 Centuries!
Through all of this, at the ripe old age of 42 years old, I finally feel as though I’ve embraced who I am as a cancer survivor and amputee. Rather than trying to downplay my differences, I am beginning to see that those are what make me stand out and thrive. For anyone to show up and complete a Century bike ride takes quite a bit of inner strength. But to do it with only one leg pedaling makes me unique and – from what others say, an inspiration to many. I don’t want any of this to sound egotistical, just to let you know that I am seeing what my life can mean to others and that I take very seriously the impact that my life can have on others.
If only we could all live this authentically – this fully – each and every day! I do believe many of us have the opportunity to be an inspiration to others – even in small ways – if we are more grateful for what we have and have the conviction that we can overcome any obstacle with perseverance and faith in our innate abilities.
The century ride has reaffirmed so many lessons for me, personally and professionally. I know I will continue to be inspired by the memories of this incredible experience through every turn and uphill climb of life’s unpredictable and exhilarating path.