Want to cycle 102 miles through Death Valley?
I have to admit, the invitation to spend hours cycling through one of the hottest places on Earth isn’t very enticing.
But 10 years ago, a handful of people answered my call, and the Logistics Leaders for T1D Cure cycling team was born.
The idea came to me in the middle of the night.
It was a cold December night in 2015. I had woken up to test my daughter Hannah’s blood sugar. (She had been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 11, four years earlier.) I had a hard time pricking her finger to draw a drop of blood, and when I looked closely, I realized why: her fingertips were scarred from the thousands of finger pricks she’d endured to test her blood sugar — more than 12,000 by my conservative estimate.
I went back to bed and decided then and there that I needed to do something more to help find a cure for this disease.
That’s when a big, audacious idea came to me: assemble a team of riders from leading logistics companies to join me for a 102.7-mile bike ride through Death Valley, California, to benefit Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF), the leading nonprofit organization funding type 1 diabetes research.
A few weeks later, that crazy idea became reality thanks to the generous support of our founding sponsors and the four amazing people who answered my call to ride through the desert with me: Charity Newsome, Gina Pratico, James Coon, and Ken Wood.
How did the ride go?
Here’s what I wrote afterward:
Imagine hell during a heat wave, then add 35-50 mph crosswinds — those were the conditions we faced during the first 40 miles. Because of the winds, which slowed everybody down considerably, and cut-off times to reach certain points on the course, I was one of only 40 riders (out of 300) who was able to reach Jubilee Pass and complete the 102 miles. It took me 7:09 to finish. I felt like throwing up and giving up many times, but thinking of my daughter and all those living with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) and the fact they can’t afford to give up gave me the strength to keep going.
Ten years later, that ride is still one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.
It’s also one of the things I’m most proud of — not simply because I crossed the finish line, but because our team raised $43,000 that first year to help fund research toward a cure.
Since then, many different teammates from across the supply chain and logistics industry have joined the effort. Together we’ve ridden in Saratoga Springs, Santa Fe, Burlington, Amelia Island, and even returned to Death Valley a couple more times. I’ve also completed rides in Greenville, Santa Barbara, London, Vienna, Amsterdam, and last year climbed Mt. Washington in New Hampshire — another ride that definitely belongs on my list of hardest (and craziest) experiences.
Together, our Logistics Leaders for T1D Cure team has raised more than $462,000 for Breakthrough T1D since 2016.
And this year, we’re back on the road.
In September, I’ll ride 100 miles at the Breakthrough T1D Ride in Cape Cod with several LL4T1DCure teammates. Then, in November, teammate Ralph Cisneros and I will ride another 100 miles at El Tour de Tucson in Arizona. Other team members will also participate in Breakthrough T1D rides in Austin and Amelia Island.
Our goal this year is to raise more than $38,000, which would push our team’s lifetime fundraising past the half-million-dollar mark.
We’re already 47% of the way there.
How can you help?
If you enjoy and get value from the content we create at Talking Logistics, I hope you’ll consider making a tax-deductible donation to support our team and Breakthrough T1D. Every dollar brings us closer to better treatments and a cure
Donate here to help me reach my goal: http://www2.breakthrought1d.org/goto/ll4t1dcure
If you’re a supply chain technology company or logistics service provider, I’d also encourage you to consider becoming a team sponsor. A special thank you to TranzAct Technologies and Descartes Systems Group for sponsoring us again this year. We still have several sponsorship opportunities available, so if you’re interested in learning more, please reach out.
Fifteen years after Hannah’s diagnosis, tremendous progress has been made in treating type 1 diabetes and advancing research toward a cure. None of that progress would have been possible without the generosity of people who chose to help.
One day, I hope no one will have to wake up in the middle of the night to check their blood sugar or worry about what the number will be. Until that day comes, we’ll keep riding. Thank you for helping us get there.
