Be Inspired

It's always inspiring to hear of people doing great things for great causes and I've been lucky enough to experience TWO of those things in the last few weeks.

The first is an adventure recently completed by my sister-in-law, Beth, a survivor of breast-cancer who embarked on a journey with the Amazon Heart Expedition about 10 days ago. Here's a woman, who with no family history of cancer, was diagnosed at an early age and successfully fought through physical and emotional pain and uncertainty associated with cancer. Together with a group of fellow survivors, she treked 7 days through the Canyon de Chelly in the Navajo Nation, Arizona. It was a bonding experience, with nature and her comrades, and opportunity to celebrate life. In the process, this band of sisters also heightened awareness and raised money for local breast cancer organizations. You can read more about their inspiring journey by visiting their blog.



The second inspiring story is about a fellow Monsanto Maverick rider and training partner, Mark Neuman, who will be riding his bike with a small group of friends for 7 Days through 7 Countries, stay in 7 Cities for a total of 777 Miles – and Finishing on 07/07/07. The project’s name is “All Sevens.” What is special about the cities is that all seven have at some point been the departure cities (Le Grand Depart) for the Tour de France, the 21-day cycling stage race that is the oldest of international cycling’s major racing events. This year, the Tour’s prologue will begin in London on July 7.

The All Sevens team, wanting to do “something more” and give back, became involved with World Bicycle Relief, which is involved in a large program to tackle HIV/AIDS.

“The idea,” says Mark, “is to provide bicycles to health workers so that they
can visit more people in the same time and/or increase their ability to reach
families farther afield.”

The goal of the All Sevens team is to raise over $18,000 to provide 100 bicycles, purchase a shipping container for the bikes, and provide some funds for refurbishing of the bikes before shipment.

Stories like these remind me of how lucky I am and how much more I have to offer. They also remind me of the value of teams. As individuals we can do great things, but with the help of others, we can surprise even ourselves. THANKS Beth and Mark!