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Former Flower Mound residents biking to Alaska for cancer research
By Chris Roark, croark@starlocalnews.com
It’s going to be hot, cold, wet, dry and hilly.
But two former local students are willing to endure all 4,000 miles of it to help find a cure for cancer.
Jay Shah, who attended Marcus High School from 2006-2008 before transferring to the Texas Academy of Math and Science, and Caroline Suh, who graduated from Flower Mound High School in 2010, are part of the 2013 Livestrong Texas 4000 team, a group of about 75 University of Texas students that bikes from Austin to Anchorage, Alaska to raise money for cancer research.
Suh and Shah each have personal stories that explain why they have chosen to embark on the journey.
Suh’s decision stems from the loss of her father in 2005 after a six-month battle with stomach cancer.
“I thought of doing this after he passed,” Suh said. “While he was sick, I was still in middle school, and things were hectic. I didn’t think that I could make a change. It took a while to adjust, but even though I’m a single person, I realize that I can still do my part to battle this disease.”
Each rider is required to raise $4,500 for the trip, though Suh has set a personal goal of $7,000.
“I don’t like doing things at the bare minimum,” Suh said. “I think $7,000 is achievable. Our goal as a group is to raise $600,000, and that’s quite a lot.”
Suh said the verge of a cancer research breakthrough also drives her.
“So many researchers have said that they are close to unlocking how cancer works,” Suh said. “They say that if they had more money, then within the next 10 years, there could be a possible cure. If you look at how far treatment research has come in 10 years, it’s encouraging. So adding money to this cause is the best thing I can do.”
Shah lost his grandfather to cancer in 2000.
“I saw the aftermath of his death because my grandmother lived alone,” Shah said. “We really felt his absence, so I’m motivated by the absence that was left.”
Shah has set the goal of raising $6,000.
The group will travel through nine states and two Canadian territories on its way to Alaska.
Along the way, they will stay with host families, who will provide them with food and a place to sleep. But for the most part, it’s a lot of biking. Shah said the group will be biking between 50 and 130 miles a day, depending on the elevation. Rides begin around 4:30 a.m. and end around dinner time.
“I’ve never done cycling before, but others have said they hadn’t done it before this event either,” Suh said. “But I’m not too nervous because this is set up a year in advance, so we started training last month.”
Each rider is required to bike 1,500 miles before the event so they will build up their endurance. That includes a Century Ride in April in which the riders must bike 100 miles in 10 hours. Diet and a workout plan are other ways riders will prepare.
Biking through the climate conditions will be hard to replicate, however. They will likely face freezing temperatures in the northern states, extremely hot conditions in Nevada, steep hills in Canada and strong headwinds. The cyclists will continue riding in all weather conditions except for lightning.
“It’s going to be a huge challenge for some people,” Shah said. “Some of the riders are extremely active, and others aren’t at all.”
But the students say that it will all be worth it. Shah has already experienced the welcoming feeling from people who learn about the group’s effort during training rides.
“It’s crazy how quickly people interact with you,” Shah said. “They really connect with us.”
And then there are the donations. Shah said everything is donated, including food and power drink mix.
“We very much maximize our money to give it to cancer research,” Shah said.
During their ride, the students will visit with groups to spread awareness about cancer, such as the importance of early screenings.
Shah said he also expects the journey to provide a fresh perspective on life.
“Sometimes we will go three or four days without washing our jerseys,” Shah said. “We won’t have the Internet or a phone. So we will see what’s really important.”
To donate to the cause, email Shah at jayshahtx@gmail.com or Suh at carolinejsuh@yahoo.com. Go to http://www.texas4000.org/ for information.
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