Final preparations are being made before I leave out of here to Mesa to start the Hoka Hey Challenge. I have so much to be thankful for. Tomorrow will be two years from when I got the news from my doctor that I had breast cancer again. I remember the first time I got the news in 1999, I was in my living room with two of my kids when the doctor called and confirmed that the biopsy news was not good. As I hung up the phone I went numb. Looking at my two youngest playing there in the living room I wondered how much more of they're childhood I was going to get to share. Because I didn't want to show them I was scared I called my sister Nancy. She and I talked for a while and I was able to keep it together. I did what I needed to do to fight like the doctor advised and won that battle. 10 years later it was back and this time the fight was going to be a lot harder. I dusted off the boxing gloves, slide them back on and started round two.
Now here I am two years later getting ready for round two of another battle, but this battle was MY choice. The weird thing is if it hadn't been for the first battle I wouldn't have been able to participate in the second one. While in Chemo at SBLHC in Mattoon in a room full of other cancer battlers I read about a motorcycle challenge that was going from Key West, Florida to Homer, Alaska with a winner take all prize of half a million dollars. I could actually entertain that kind of a ride because in Nov. of 09 I took an early retirement from the USPS because it was either retire early and take a cut in pay or not get paid at all because I was out of leave and still had a long way to go before I would be able to work. So now I had the time to ride but would I be able to? When the doctor came into the room that day I asked him if he thought I would be strong enough to do a ride like this and he said "Go live your life" and gave me $100. That's how it all started. I shared that story with some friends and within a couple of days there was a benefit planned to make this ride happen for me. Donations were gathered and by the seat of my pants and the grace of God I left Illinois for Florida to do the first Hoka Hey Challenge.
Now here we are days away from Hoka Hey 2011 and I can't wait to get rolling. I spent the winter months plotting and planning with other challengers, sharing road stories from last year and deciding what to do different or better. Both of these events have been bathed in prayer, praying for confirmation this is where God wanted me and praying that I would be used in this event to do something good. I anxiously wait to see what's in store as I stuff zip lock bags full of clothes, maps, bed roll, tent, bifocal sunglasses, bifocal safety glasses, camel back, nonperishable munchies, rain gear, camera, and a deep desire to ride like the wind.
A huge THANK YOU to so many people for making it possible with the financial support, prayers and encouragement you all are providing me. Mesa, Arizona to Glace Bay, Nova Scotia through 48 of our 50 states in 17 days..........WOW
