Texas 4000: Cyclists with a Cause

In essence, the Texas 4000 cyclists are like modern day Forrest Gumps on bikes.

Photo credit: The Texas 4000 Team

In essence, the Texas 4000 cyclists are like modern day Forrest Gumps on bikes.

I say “in essence”, as it is a fairly blanket comparison. Both can be described as Transamerican athletes, but there are a few key differences to keep in mind. If we’re talking Texas 4000, each of the 4,500 miles from Austin, Texas to Anchorage, Alaska is intentional and thoughtfully mapped from the outset, and the team rides for more reasons than “I just felt like cycling”.

The personal reasons that fuel the cyclists till the finishing mile vary from person to person. Collectively, though, the team cycles in the longest charity ride in the world on behalf of both cancer patients and those whose lives have been overturned by cancer’s calloused hands.

Amira Jensen, a fourth year at UT, is one of the 55 biking to Alaska this summer. I present to you her fuel.

Amira Jensen: Why She Bikes

Photo credit: David Liu

“I applied to Texas 4000 for two reasons: one selfish and one not so selfish. The selfish reason was that I wanted to get fit, and I wanted it to not be optional. It's so hard to work out regularly if you're not being held accountable, at least for me, so I knew working out because I had to was the only real way I could get much fitter.

For reasons unknown, I had just fallen in love with bikes the summer before. All of a sudden I found myself slowing down near bike racks just to see if there were any that were exceptionally gorgeous. I'd just bought a cruiser and loved riding around my neighborhood, so why not ride across the country?

Secondly, and most importantly, I wanted to ride because of the effect cancer has had on my life. My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer before I was born, and I've seen cancer come back in one form or another several times while I was growing up. My mom fought her last battle hard, but this time it was more serious than ever before. She passed away on Halloween in 2007.”

Since then, I've felt almost like a personal vendetta against cancer. When you lose someone you love to such a cruel disease, it becomes your own personal enemy. Raising money for cancer research and spreading cancer awareness along the ride is my way of showing cancer that it didn't get the best of me. It's also a way to honor my mother. What she went through was much more difficult than a bike ride to Alaska, and I plan to use that as a source of strength this summer. If people devote their lives to fighting cancer, whether it be patients who don't have the choice or researchers who are trying to find a cure, I can devote a summer to helping their mission.”

Back to the Basics

Photo credit: The Texas 4000 Team

Amira, along with 26 others, will pedal along the Coastal Route to Anchorage this summer, passing through states and territories like New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California, Washington, and British Columbia in Canada. As they ride, the team will stop by local churches, hospitals, and organizations to present their mission, share encouraging words and educate the communities on cancer prevention measures.

The other 28 riders of the Texas 4000 2010 team will do the same, but they’ll be cycling along the Rocky Route through states like Oklahoma, Wyoming and Montana.

At first, you may wonder, “Why split the team?” Well, the answer is twofold. First of all, as you can imagine, it’s tough for host families and organizations to accommodate 50+ cyclists. Secondly, strategically speaking, if you double the number of routes, you effectively double the number of opportunities to spread awareness about cancer.

Regardless of which route they take, each 2010 rider will embark on a 4500-mile Transamerican journey on June 5th and ride for 70 days until the team reaches its destination on August 13th. The Coastal and Rocky crews will fork in Lampasas, Texas early on and reunite in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory on day 61 (of 70) to pedal into Anchorage together.

Click here for the day-by-day breakdown of the routes.

Let's Talk Money

To discuss a few more logistics, each rider must raise at least $4500, or $1 per mile they ride. The funds raised by the group of mostly UT students will be funneled into the American Cancer Society and the Children’s Cancer Hospital at M.D. Anderson, to list a few. The money will be used to treat current patients and delve more deeply into the curiosities of cancer.

Now, the fundraising is no joke and the training may be taxing at times, but the ride is well worth it – and then some. Edlin Maldonado, a member of the Rockies 2009 team, shares a snapshot of the most rewarding part of the trip.

Edlin Maldonado: The Highlight

Photo credit: Colin Doyle

The summer was a whirlwind with many opportunities to learn and share stories. Out of all the experiences, the most memorable part of the trip for me was when we arrived at the Alaska sign and as an entire team did our daily 'Why I Ride' dedication. Every morning before the ride, we circled up and dedicated the ride to someone we knew that had been affected in some way by cancer. I remember that day the ride dedication took upwards of 2 hours because we all shared stories that were dear to us. We recalled the people we visited and met along the way. After the Alaska sign, we still had another 5 days to reach Anchorage but crossing the border was definitely an overwhelming experience.

A close second might be when the Rockies team discovered we had just missed an encounter with a bear at one of our rest stops in Yellowstone Park. It would have been nice to meet Yogi Bear!

How You Can Help

You may not be cycling to Alaska with the 2010 team this summer, but that doesn’t mean you can’t support their cause. The following is a list of fulfilling volunteer opportunities. Pick and choose, my friends!

YOU CAN…

1. Sponsor a cyclist financially! If you click here, you can get a better picture of where the riders are in terms of their $4,500 need, as well as a window (in blog form) into the day-to-day lives of the trainees.

2. Volunteer at the Atlas ride or Tribute gala, which are the send-off and welcome back events that take place in Austin. Info on further volunteer opportunities are described in more detail here.

3. Become a host family if you live in any of the cities listed as checkpoints along the way.

4. Apply for Texas 4000 2012! The deadline for the summer of 2011 has passed, but 2002 is always an option. For those of you worried about your cycling endurance, or lack there of, no prior training is needed!

How will you help further the Texas 4000 vision?