I am at 37,000 feet flying out to San Diego to begin this trek. I’ve been watching the ground roll past now for three or four hours at 500 mph and once again I find myself questioning the rationale of what we are about to attempt.
I am with old friends, my brother and some new friends that I will know better in ten days...we won’t be the same then. I can see my stomach bulging in the reflection of my new MacBook as I type this -- evidence of poor eating habits and perhaps a lack of effective training. I can’t help but wonder just a little today if this undertaking of crossing the country is ambitious beyond reason. And, yet, I know it is what drives me. Even if we fail (which I doubt we will), we have accomplished the real miracle -- having the courage to show up at the start.
NF is a dreadful disorder. It can batter, cripple and rob us of the lives we hope and dream about but it has also has given me purpose. I think through my daughter’s experiences (and maybe some salesmanship on my part) it has offered my friends on this team mutual purpose. This week we ride – it’s what we can do now. Ari’s Angels’ Crew Chief, Connie Oslica says it best, “We are not doctors or scientists, we are dads, moms, brothers, uncles, sisters and friends doing what we can do…and that is ride a long way to bring awareness to this disorder and keep the gas tank of research dollars full for the Children's Tumor Foundation.”
I thank you all for taking the time to join us virtually in this Race Across America, and even more for being part of this race for effective treatments and someday a cure. Today there are more than two million children and adults with NF in the world. I pray that the collective efforts of the NF Endurance Team and this little band of 12 riders and loyal support crew can bring a sense of hope to those that can follow these posts. . .and for those that can’t, we know that eventually, we can provide hope for them too.
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