08/16/2026
It's been a couple of weekends since Pelotonia, and I'm still thinking about one rider.
His chain kept slipping, so he stopped by our bike help station. Couldn't have been older than 19. While we worked on his bike, I noticed his seat post: Cancer Survivor. 3-Year Rider.
He was out there riding 66 miles — through sun, then rain, then humidity — and when his derailleur gave him trouble, he didn't quit. He simply asked for help.
Most of us will never know what it takes to fight cancer that young. But he was standing there that weekend, strong and smiling, because of a lot of hands along the way — and because somewhere in his fight, he was also given the time and space to rest and heal. Rest isn't the opposite of strength. It's part of it.
Many of us aren't riding 66 miles after cancer, and although many of us might not face a challenge as tough as his, we all have our own hills to climb — a rough day, a hard season, a chain that keeps slipping. The lesson is the same: pace yourself, rest when you need to, and never be afraid to ask for help.
Community. Resilience. The courage to keep going, one mile at a time. That's how he got there — and it's how the rest of us will get through our own hard things too.
