Category: Inspiring (Page 6 of 7)

Extreme cyclist Rebecca Rusch to speak 5/31 at Sunflower bike shop

May 31, 2012 /

Below is a reprint from WellCommons for the original story click here.

Professional endurance mountain biker Rebecca Rusch will speak tonight at Sunflower Outdoor and Bike Shop in Lawrence. Rusch holds world and national titles in several long-distance races. by Contributed photo

BY ANDREW HARTSOCK

They call her the Queen of Pain, but don’t be misled.

Though the moniker is a tribute to her melding of passion and profession, Rebecca Rusch is no whip-wielding kinkstress. Outfitted in Lycra, not leather, Rusch saddles up and puts the hurt only on fellow mountain-biking masochists.

The nickname is both a nod to her ability to spank the competition and endure the agony that goes along with riding a bike for ridiculously long distances and times.

“It makes me laugh,” Rusch says of her nickname. “You don’t necessarily choose your nickname. Other people choose your nicknames for you.”

True, but many an outcast elementary schooler has been saddled with “Smelly McBooger-eater” but doesn’t make it his Twitter handle.

“I don’t want to inflict pain on myself,” said Rusch (@thequeenofpain on Twitter). “Maybe it’s more the Queen of Pain Management.”

Whatever the case, the QOP — who will be in town tonight to speak to at Sunflower Outdoor and Bike Shop — has become awfully good at what she does, which is pedal a bike longerfasterbetter than just about anybody around.

Just a few of her jaw-dropping bicycle results:

• three-time winner of the Leadville Trail 100 MTB and current record holder

• national cross country single-speed champion

• world masters cross country champion

• three-time 24-hour solo mountain bike world champion

• and 24-hour team mountain bike national champion.

“I have an affinity,” she said, “to go long distances, to put my head down and be in that pain cave. Everybody knows somebody who has done something super-hard, something where you’re thinking, ‘I can’t do it,’ and you do it. You finish something like that, it’s a very addictive drug. I guess I’m just chasing that reinforcement over and over again.”

Rusch, 43, didn’t always do it on a bike.

Her first taste of endurance racing came in high school on the cross country team. Then came skiing and adventure racing, and she was crazy-successful at all of them.

Then she lost her adventure-racing sponsor and, with a year left in her deal with Red Bull, Rusch looked around and wondered just what would fill the void.

“I hated cycling,” she said. “I was lousy at it. I was uneducated and unskilled, and you never like to do things you’re lousy at. That’s the last thing I would have chosen. But I couldn’t think of anything else to do. I was always in endurance. I was a lousy sprinter. When adventure racing folded, I racked my brain. Ultra-running came to mind, but you see those races and they seem to brutally painful on the body. The only other thing was mountain-bike racing.

“But I didn’t think I would start a cycling career. I was just doing something to fill time for the last year of my Red Bull contract. I did one, and it all snowballed from there and became a cycling career. It really was unexpected.”

That career has taken her around the world.

Rusch, who still marvels that she can call herself a professional athlete, rules Leadville, the brutal 100-mile Colorado race contested at altitude and has competed in the Moroccan dessert and Costa Rican jungle.

Next up is Saturday’s Dirty Kanza 200, a 200-mile gravel-road sufferfest beginning and ending in Emporia.

“Dirty Kanza has a cult following,” Rusch said. “Registration fills up in a few minutes. Lots of people don’t finish. Call me a glutton for punishment, but those things appeal to me. I was in Morocco. The next most exotic locale I could think of was Kansas.”

Rusch, who lives in Ketchum, Idaho, said tonight’s visit to Sunflower was a culmination.

She rides for Specialized Bikes, and Sunflower is a Specialized shop. Occasionally, Specialized lets its athletes and dealers get — and ride — together, and Rusch thus came to know Sunflower owner Dan Hughes.

Hughes is an accomplished racer himself — he can pedal what he peddles — and so caught Rusch’s attention.

She had heard of Dirty Kanza (of which, incidentally, Hughes is the reigning solo-division men’s open champ) and was intrigued by the challenge. She counts Olathe-based Garmin among her sponsors.

And then there’s Hughes.

“We have a friendly competition,” Rusch said. “He doesn’t like to get ‘chicked,’ that’s for sure. … But he’s a super-strong rider, and he loves what he’s doing. I always wanted to visit his shop and Kansas, and since I’m racing there, there were just a lot of good reasons to go there.”

Her talk, tentatively titled “Commitment and Reaching Your Maximum Potential,” will start at 7 tonight at Sunflower (804 Mass. Street). It’s free and open to the public.

Bike to Work Week is May 14-18

May 11, 2012 /

Bike to School day was earlier this week but rememvber Bike to Work Week is May 14-18 and Bike to Work Day is Friday, May 18.

Both sponsored by the League of American Bicyclists is the national sponsor of Bike Month, as an opportunity to celebrate the unique power of the bicycle and the many reasons we ride. Whether you bike to work or school; to save money or time; to preserve your health or the environment; to explore your community or get to your destination, get involved in Bike Month in your city or state — and help get more people in your community out riding too!

Andy Clarke, President of the League of American Bicyclists, said, “Biking to work is an efficient and fun way to get the exercise you need, without having to find extra time to work out. And this year, with gasoline prices as high as they are, biking to work makes more sense than ever.”

Following are some tips that will help you enjoy biking to work more.
• Have your bike checked over by your local bike shop
• Always wear a helmet to protect your head in the event of a crash
• Ride in the right-most lane that goes in the direction that you are traveling
• Obey all stop signs, traffic lights and lane markings
• Look before you change lanes or signal a turn; indicate your intention, then act
• Be visible and predictable at all times; wear bright clothing and signal turns

Bicyclists raising suicide awareness with cross-country tour that stops Monday in Lawrence

May 7, 2012 /

Below is a reprint from WellCommons

http://wellcommons.com/groups/trauma/2012/may/4/suicide-survivors-raising-awareness-with/

By Karrey Britt
on May 4, 2012

Zachary Chipps, left, and Thomas Brown, both of Scottsdale, Ariz., are bicycling across the country to raise awareness about suicide prevention. They both lost an older brother to suicide. Their journey began March 1 at the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge and will end Sept. 30 in Wappengers Falls, N.Y. They are pictured during a stop in Colorado. Chipps and Brown will be in Lawrence Monday through Wednesday.

Two bicyclists will be stopping in Lawrence on Monday during their seven-month cross-country tour to raise awareness about suicide prevention.

Thomas Brown, 34, and Zachary Chipps, 31, met each other while working for the Parks and Recreation Department in Scottsdale, Ariz. It was a chance meeting that happened while they were waiting for a program to begin. During that conversation, they learned they liked the same music, so they exchanged numbers and eventually met for coffee. That’s when they learned they were both reading the same book, “Ishmael,” by Daniel Quinn, and they both had lost an older brother to suicide. They both were 24 when it happened.

“It lifted a lot of weight off my chest just to know somebody that I could have fellowship with,” Brown said.

Since then, they have formed a unique bond and decided to embark on the bicycling journey to help in their healing process and to reach out to others.

“Our intention is to go out and learn as much as we can from people, learn what’s working and what’s not working,” Brown said. “We also want to bring the message that the creative power that’s inside each and every person is kind of like a catalyst for change and growth and transcendence.”

Their journey, called Revolution Inspired by Self Evolution, or RISE, began March 1 by riding across the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge, a site of frequent suicides. Brown said a man rode with them across the bridge; he had lost his brother to suicide there.

“That was pretty emotional,” he said.

Since then, they’ve pedaled their way through California, New Mexico, Colorado and Nebraska. At first, they didn’t have a support vehicle, but now they do. They take turns driving and bicycling and they receive support from friends, family, churches and networks such as CouchSurfing andWarmshowers. They’ve also partnered with a nonprofit suicide prevention center in Tempe, Ariz.

“It has been the biggest challenge and the most rewarding thing I have ever done,” Chipps said. “It has been amazing.”

Chipps grew up in Hastings, Neb. He was close to his brother, Sean, who was nine years older.

“We were best friends and I looked up to him. I got his hand-me downs when we were growing up, and I wanted to be just like him,” he said. “That was a real scary thing that I had to deal with when he died. I was a lot like him and I realized his choices and the path he had chosen and ended it in, and I was like, ‘Wow. I’m going to have to make some changes here.’”

Brown said he and his brother, Marc, also were close. They played basketball and both cheered for the Jayhawks because their parents were originally from Kansas.

“I went from being the baby in the family to the only child,” Brown said. “One of the hardest things for me is knowing one of these days that I will have to bury my parents and I am not going to have my brother there with me.”

Brown said they have learned that they are far from alone. They have met many survivors of suicide and have learned that everyone heals differently.

“We can’t control what comes at us, but we can control how we deal with it,” he said. “We don’t all heal in the same way and that’s OK. We shouldn’t compare ourselves to other individuals and how they are healing. It’s also OK to have a bad day and it’s OK to say, ‘I need a helping hand right now.’”

David Moore, of rural Lawrence, praised the two men for helping to raise suicide awareness. One year ago, he lost his son Cassidy to suicide at age 23.

“If you would have looked at him and known him, you would have thought he had the world by the tail,” Moore said. “If it happened to him, it could happen to anyone.”

Cassidy Moore, a Baldwin High School graduate, died April 23, 2011, by suicide at age 23. He is survived by his parents and two younger brothers.

Moore is calling on fellow cyclists to help escort Brown and Chipps into town. He will be departing from the Lawrence Visitors Center, 402 N. Second St., at 11 a.m. Monday and riding about 25 miles out to meet them, and then they will escort them into town for a brief gathering at 3:30 p.m. at the Judicial and Law Enforcement Center, 111 E. 11th St.

“Let’s roll out the red carpet for these guys,” he said. “I am sure they are dragging about now and can use the support.”

For Brown, it will be sort of a second homecoming. He will be visiting with relatives here and in Wichita. He has been scattering his brother’s ashes along the journey and plans to leave some around Allen Fieldhouse. He also has his brother’s KU cap and plans to find a place to retire it.

Before leaving Omaha, Neb., on Thursday, Brown described the journey as magnificent.

“How long do you have?” he said, when asked to share special moments. “The scenery. The people. It has all just been amazing.”

JOIN THE JOURNEY

Thomas Brown and Zachary Chipps, both of Scottsdale, Ariz., are on a seven-month cross-country bicycle tour to raise awareness about suicide. They are going through 21 states and stopping in 110 cities.

They will be in Lawrence Monday through Wednesday. Headquarters Counseling Center, a suicide prevention center in Lawrence, has been coordinating efforts to welcome them to town. Headquarters invites the public to join the cause by:

• Participating in the ride. A group of cyclists will leave the Lawrence Visitors Center, 402 N. Second St., at 11 a.m. They will ride out about 25 miles to greet them and escort them to town. The route will be along Highway 24 and then Highway 59, going north toward Oskaloosa. Brown and Chipps will be departing from Effingham at 11 a.m.

• Attending a meet and greet. There will be a social gathering about 3:30 p.m. Monday at the Judicial and Law Enforcement Center, 111 E. 11th St., where the riders will stop in town. The gathering will migrate to Johnny’s Tavern in North Lawrence until early evening.

• Joining a potluck and meeting. The event will be from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday at Trinity Lutheran Church, 1245 N.H. There will be a brief program where the bicyclists will talk about their journey.

The City of Lawrence has proclaimed the week of May 6-12 as Rise Phoenix Week in honor of the cyclists and their mission.

For more information, call Headquarters Counseling Center at 841-2345 or visit its Facebook page.

SUICIDE PREVENTION

Marcia Epstein, director of Headquarters Counseling Center in Lawrence, says you can make a difference when someone shows signs of feeling suicidal. Here’s how:

• Listen and show you care.

• Ask the question, “Are you thinking about suicide?”

• For teens, find a trusted adult to help you both.

• For adults, find someone to be with the person and someone trained in suicide prevention to help.

• Eliminate access to firearms, medications and other dangers.

• Never keep a secret about suicide.

• Know that suicide is never someone else’s fault.

Where to get help:

• Headquarters Counseling Center’s 24-hour service, 785-841-2345.

• National Suicide Prevention Life-Line, 800-273-8255.

• Bert Nash’s 24-hour service, 785-843-9192.

• Lawrence Memorial Hospital emergency room, 785-505-6100.

• KU Child and Family Services Clinic, 785-864-4416.

• DCCCA (outpatient drug and alcohol treatment center), 785-830-8238.

Lawrence Annual Helmet Fair Scheduled as part of Spring Game Weekend Activities

April 19, 2012 /

The Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical Department will again host their annual Helmet Fair from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 28 in conjunction with the Kansas Athletics men’s football

Spring Game. The Helmet Fair will be located on the KU Campus in Lot 91, southeast of Memorial Stadium between the Spencer Art Museum and the practice fields.

Admission to the Helmet Fair is free and open to the general public. At the Helmet Fair, LDCFM staff will be on hand to provide free bike helmets (custom-fitted for any child 15 and younger with an adult, while supplies last), bike inspections and a safe ride course. Free hot dogs and soft drinks will also be provided to participants.

Staff will also be available to educate parents and caregivers about safety tips including rules of riding on the road, bike trail etiquette, booster seat safety, bike safety and pool safety.

Kansas Athletics provides other family-friendly activities for the day which include:

– 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. – Football Clinic for 1^st through 6^th grade students. See www.kuathletics.comfor more information.

– 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. – Hy-Vee Hawk Zone open for kids, located in the football practice fields north of Memorial Stadium

– 1:00 p.m. – Kansas Football Spring game at Memorial Stadium (gates open at Noon)

The LDCFM Helmet Fair is sponsored by Kansas Athletics, Laird Noller, Safe Kids Douglas County, McDonalds, State Farm Insurance, Sunflower Outdoor & Bike, Douglas County Medical Society, Ranjbar Orthodontics, Lawrence Mountain Bike Club, Dillons and the Lawrence Pilots Club, Inc.

KC Rotary Clubs Ride to End Polio

April 2, 2012 /

Polio Eradication – “You can do it” from Rotary International on Vimeo.

After 25 years of hard work, Rotary and its partners are on the brink of eradicating this tenacious disease, but a strong push is needed now

to root it out once and for all. It is a window of opportunity of historic proportions.

Reaching the ultimate goal of a polio-free world presents ongoing challenges, not the least of which is a US$535 million funding gap through 2012. Of course, Rotary alone can’t fill this gap, but continued Rotarian advocacy for government support can help enormously.

As long as polio threatens even one child anywhere in the world, children everywhere remain at risk. The stakes are that high.

In an effort to raise funds for Polio Plus and the non-profit foundations of The Rotary Club of Lee’s Summit, the Blue Springs Rotary Club and the Raytown Rotary Club, the three clubs have combined to create Rotary Ride: Pedaling Against Polio. We look forward to your involvement and support in helping raise money and raise awareness.

For more information check out the KC Rotary Ride site at http://kcrotaryride.com/