Cyclists Riding from Austin to Anchorage for Cancer Research

WHITESBORO,TX – It’s the longest annual charity bike ride in the world and riders with the Texas 4000 made their way through Texoma on Thursday. About 23 cyclists are riding 4,500 miles from Austin to Anchorage, Alaska, to raise money for cancer research. Some of the riders say it’s worth the trip if they can help someone beat cancer. Rita Kotey has the story.

This group of riders is fighting cancer one mile at a time. Bicyclists with the Texas 4,000 are riding from Austin, Texas, to Anchorage, Alaska.

Many are students from the University of Texas at Austin, who spent the year raising money for cancer research because they have been personally affected by cancer.

“We want to do something to really fight back and give those people that are close to us the hope they need to keep fighting cancer whether it is to go through treatment or to continue to take care of a family member that is affected by cancer we hope to help them get motivated to get up everyday and lead a healthy lifestyle,” cyclist Greg Raaberg said.

“This bike ride kind of parallels the battle you undergo with cancer and everyday no matter how we feel we are going to get up and ride our bikes around 70 miles a day on average because everyone that has cancer is going to get up and fight the good fight as well,” cyclist Jeff Boas said.

During the more than 4,000-mile trip, the group will stop and give cancer awareness presentations and visit hospitals and cancer treatment centers. But riding so many miles with 23 riders can cause some problems.

“One of our bikes was run over today by one of our support vehicles so we are going to have to fix that up. We have had maintenance issues, we have seen rain, we have seen beating down sun, there is wind, and I’m sure we will see hail storms,” Raaberg said.

Riders say they hope those with cancer are inspired to keep pedaling through the disease and not look back.

“Focus on the small battles and hope it adds up to one big victory defeating cancer,” Boas said.

By Rita Kotey

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