LIVESTRONG BLOG

Steamboat Ride for Yellow

Aug 16, 2010 by Guest

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It was 1999 when I witnessed my first mountain bike race in my new found hometown of Steamboat Springs, CO. I had just moved here from Dallas via Austin and I was excited to see a fellow Texan race in the Rockies. The experience motivated me to take my new found hobby of cycling a little more serious.

Now, with Texan roots comes a certain degree of stubbornness, and I?m no different. As I began my racing quest I studied Lance?s moves, read his books and did my best to be like him ? a winner. As years passed I got to be pretty successful?in small town Colorado. I didn?t know then what the measure of true success would be or how it would be measured.

I decided to take a break from the racing scene a couple of years ago to get married to my best friend and smoking hot babe, Laura. Before we could settle into a life of marriage and start thinking about returning to racing, we were introduced to a speed bump in life. What we thought was a pinched nerve in my neck affecting my right arm turned out to be a brain tumor in my motor cortex ? ultimately affecting the entire right side of my body.

For the last year and a half, I have had the opportunity to fight this battle with some of the most encouraging, selfless group of friends you could imagine. I won?t bore you with details, but our small town of 10,000 neighbors in NW Colorado has amazed me. When the call of duty is delivered, our friends and neighbors rally like none other.

The passion and camaraderie of Steamboat was escalated to a whole new level this weekend – on the mountain where it all started for me. Yesterday I stood at the top of Mount Werner with hundreds of fans waiting on Lance Armstrong?s finish in Steamboat?s First Annual Ride 4 Yellow?the same trail he rode past for the Mercury Tour in 1999. The inspiration still remains alive, but it now has soft spot in my heart with a commonality we share ? a fight for life.

Steamboat Springs, my hometown, has once again shown its true colors. All of the work put forth by the Ride 4 Yellow Board, the volunteers and the participants helped raise over $300,000 for the LAF. That?s Incredible! But not surprising for our little town of 10,000 people. It?s not surprising that the event sold out. Kudos to all of those in involved!

Speaking of those involved I have to thank the Ride 4 Yellow BOD who allowed me to speak at the finish. However, my prepared speech was thrown in the trash moments before when I was told I was going to be introducing Lance. Somehow the words just found me.

Turns out we have a few things in common: being from Texas, good taste for Texas beer, a love of biking, and the most important thing we share ? we?re survivors. The true experience – I had the chance to hear Lance speak in person. He mentioned a few words that will forever etched in my mind. Upon leaving the hospital, Lance was given two options: go out the backdoor and no one will notice you?re gone and escape the publicity or go out the front door and tell the world of your experience with cancer. I?m with Lance! With my impaired speech and the right hand side of my body under repair, I am charging out the front door ? limp and all!

-Brad Cusenbary