We are not exactly the Fantastic Four, however, we are four perhaps slightly better than average "Old Guy" bicycle riders. We are Bill Taitano (PaPa), Joel Kantor, Tim Whiteside, and Craig Jackson. Between the four of us, our total time on earth is 270 years. There's perhaps some really old guys in the bunch. Just saying! Between the four of us, our total miles on our bicycles in 2021 was a smidgen over 29,000 miles. One of us rode almost 11,000 miles last year (not me) and the remaining three are mere "wimps". Living this many years has had some challenges along the way. One of us has a tuned up pace maker and there's a cancer survivor in the bunch. The orthopedic surgeons have had a field day with us over the years - broken collarbone, broken ribs, broken foot, fractured leg, and a rather complicated Achilles with six anchors to name a few injuries among us. And then there’s the bizarre crash of a bicycle that broke into two pieces after a brick mailbox moved in the way and sent one of us to the hospital in an ambulance. That bicycle was forced into early retirement and EMT’s are wonderful people.
Yet, we still ride and laugh at each other.
What gives us energy to move forward with this:
Having purpose
The training for a goal
The uncertainty of the outcome
The motivation to help others
In 61 days, we will line up on the start line of the epic Race Across The West, a 930 mile time trial bicycle race from Oceanside, California to Durango, Colorado. Our goal is 58 hours of near non-stop pedaling with at least one of us on the bicycle day and night. Oh, and there’s over 50,000 feet of climbing on the route. We will play “rock, paper, scissors” to see who does all of the climbing.
We couldn’t do this without a fantastic support crew to drive, navigate, keep us safe, and see that we keep up with our nutrition and hydration needs. They are Marvin Lee, Ashley Robertson, Charlotte Lindley, Carol Hughes, Cynthia Whiteside, and Duvain Ashe-Kenny. There’s an exciting array of amazing talents among the crew. One has run FIFTY (50) marathons, and we’ve got HUNDRED (100) mile runners too. We’ve got some super creative and giving teammates who all make us proud. We are so thankful to have these fantastic individuals watching over us.
So why are we doing this? We ride and push to our absolute limit to raise awareness surrounding the need for suicide prevention. We proudly partner with local organizations such as Hope is Oxygen, The Coffee Bunker, and Hope is Alive. After our successful finish in the 2021 Race Across America event, we’ve been able to donate thousands of dollars back to our local partner organizations and we are not done yet with these donations which have been enabled from the support of our followers such as you. Your donations have made a huge difference in both individuals and families who have been touched by suicide or mental health issues.
Please visit our website to read more about our Team’s story and we invite you to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. A donation from you can and will make a difference in people’s lives.
https://www.teamsuicideprevention.com
Race Across The West will be hard. Our goal to raise $50,000 to support our local partners will be no easy task either. This mission is worth turning ourselves inside-out as suicide continues to take our loved ones, friends, and so many people we don’t even know away from us. With your support, we can make a difference by helping raise awareness to address this epidemic of unnecessary loss. All tax deductible donations small and large are appreciated. Even if you are not able to donate, you owe it to yourself to still follow us on this epic journey.
To learn more about Race Across The West (RAW), click on logo at the top of this post. During the race, you will able to see real-time tracking information during the race. You and your friends can virtually cheer us on from your favorite bar and read our posts from the comforts of your space while we Race Across the West.
After all, we are just four old guys pedaling our bicycles for a good cause.
Thanks
Craig J
”If you keep pedaling, you will eventually get somewhere”
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Our Local Partners
We invite to learn about these fantastics organizations that are on the front lines to help those in need. Click on logos below to learn about what they do.
