Months of early morning practices and physical training will soon pay off for members of Texas 4000 for Cancer. This summer they will begin a trek to Anchorage, Alaska, for the benefit of cancer awareness and research.
The idea for Texas 4000 for Cancer was conceived by Chris Condit, an electrical engineering senior, who thought of the concept when he ran into cyclists from the Hopkins 4K for Cancer in 2002.
The Hopkins cyclists ride from Baltimore to San Francisco, raising $100,000 for cancer research each year.
"I just sort of ran into these cyclists. ... I learned what they were about and became really interested in their cause," Condit said. "After following the Tour de France in 2003, I called them up and discussed starting something like the Hopkins 4K at UT."
In October, Condit held an informational meeting to recruit cyclists for a Texas-based ride and to begin training those who wanted to make the cross-country trip.
"Before we had our bikes, we encouraged cardio-vascular activity, especially stationary bikes," Condit said.
Training has intensified for the cyclists during the spring semester. They meet early in the mornings to prepare for what will be a grueling journey this summer. Some riders will be participating in Friday's Relay For Life for additional conditioning.
"We've picked up the intensity level, and now we have practice six times a week," Condit said. "Our standard ride is 20 miles."
Despite the early mornings, Condit said he is looking forward to the actual trip.
"It is a really refreshing thing to get up and ride in the morning," Condit said. "It gives you a taste for the summer."
UT cyclists will leave from Austin on June 1 in two groups. The orange team will follow the coastal "Sierra" route while the white team will trek across the central United States on the "Rocky" route. Both teams will conclude their journey 70 days later and more than 4,000 miles away in Anchorage, Alaska.
The purpose of splitting the team is to lighten the burden on small towns along the way that have been asked to provide meals and lodging in exchange for a presentation on cancer and cancer detection, said Texas 4000 for Cancer Co-Director Mandy Creecy, a chemical engineering senior. The presentations are intended to entertain as well as inform the audiences.
"We want to give people the facts on cancer and give them different detection methods, because a lot of cities don't have the resources we have here," Creecy said.
Creecy said she is eager to spread awareness of cancer and help people detect cancer while it is easily treatable.
"My whole reason for doing this is to help others," Creecy said. "And to be able to actually educate people that may not have been aware of different cancers and detection methods."
Condit admits that organizing the rides is a lot of work. The teams are still looking for support vans that can travel with them to haul food, supplies and equipment for the riders.
The riders are actively seeking donations of all amounts.
The group has not yet raised enough money to completely cover expenses, which are estimated at about $80,000. Each rider is expected to raise $3,000 for the trip. If the overall goal is not met, the riders themselves may have to make up the difference.
"Another thousand will likely come out of pocket from the riders," Condit said.
Two thousand of every $3,000 raised by cyclists will go to the American Cancer Society, a non-profit organization. Most donations have come from friends and family of the cyclists.
"We called grandparents, college roommates. ... We got a very good response," Condit said.
Help also came from Trek Bikes, a company that provided Trek 1500 bicycles for the UT cyclists at production cost. Austin's Bicycle Sport Shop is also providing assistance for riders and equipment at reduced cost, said spokesman Marty Muehlegger.
"We're helping them with their equipment and getting their equipment set up correctly so the ride is as pain-free as possible," Muehlegger said.
Even with the extra help, the physical demand of the ride will be high.
"We've been doing 70-to-80-mile days on the weekends, and I'm pretty tired after those," Creecy said. "Hopefully, it'll get better after a few days."
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