HTO asks for your support in helping our very own Adam Wyatt, HTO’s Bike Shop Coordinator, in his efforts to fundraise for the Ride for Crohn’s Disease and Colitis. Our goal is $3,000 – together, we can do it! Visit http://www.ibdride.org for details.
Read his story…
On August 13, 1993, the day before my wedding, I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease, a very painful, often debilitating, chronic illness with no known cure. In some ways this diagnosis was a blessing, as I had been ill for many years and had dropped to a very unhealthy weight of 130 pounds. However, by 1997 the disease had progressed to the point that I could no longer work in my chosen field of Environmental Consulting. I took my passion for the outdoors and joined the team at Hudson Trail Outfitters as we embarked on opening the Rockville, Maryland location. Through the 16 years since my diagnosis I have been hospitalized numerous times including a 3 week stay in January 2004 to have over 2 feet of intestines, which had become completely blocked due to scar tissue, removed.
It was shortly after that particular hospitalization that I rekindled my love for cycling after many years of thinking I was too sick to ride a bike. The more often I rode, the better I felt. In relatively short time I went from not riding a bike for years to having 13 bikes in my garage and riding as often as I can find the time. Although I am able to maintain my health better than in the past, it still is an on-going battle. After yet another hospitalization in June 2007, I decided I needed to find a goal to challenge myself and focus my training.
Last year, while looking for a ride to do, I came across the Get Your Guts in Gear (GYGIG) ride in New York. This is a 3-day/210-mile ride that travels from New York City to Saratoga Springs, New York that raises awareness and money for Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis. This will now be my second year doing this ride. It is the perfect combination of a physical challenge and a great community.
I rode last year to prove to myself that I could. This year I’m riding to remind people that this disease is still out there, still affecting over 1.4 million people in this country, and still has no known cure. While I was doing my fundraising last year, a close friend who’s Crohn’s Disease had been in remission for over 8 years ended up spending 10 days in ICU when bile entered his bloodstream through a fissure in his colon. Just last week a customer informed me that he had a dear friend die from Crohn’s Disease at the age of 38. It is for them and the other 1.4 million people in this country that are affected by Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis that I am once again doing this ride.
You can learn more about my efforts and the GYGIG rides by going to the official website, http://www.ibdride.org. From their homepage, click on the link for “Riders and Crew” on the left hand side. Then click on the link for “Adam and Bob Wyatt.” This will take you to a blog I have been updating as I get ready to once again embark on this journey. If you are so inclined, you can also click on the donation link and use PayPal to make an online donation, or if you feel more comfortable sending a check, you can print a donation form. Please remember to include my name and rider number (NY-#1) when making a donation. To be able to ride, I have to raise $1800 by June 9th, however, even if you can’t meet this deadline, please still donate. GYGIG will continue to collect the money through the summer.
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