During the week of June 15th a 400 mile cycling tour will take place through some of Colorado's most scenic mountains and passes. 2,000 professional and amateur cyclists, chosen from a group of nearly 5,000 applicants, will travel from around the world to claim their jersey and participate in this event at altitudes in excess of 12,200 feet. Two men from the Dayton, Ohio region were awarded jerseys and will participate in the field of 2,000. One will ride this tour on a hand-powered cycle.

Stephen Miller was diagnosed with TM in 1983 at the age of 13 and is a T-10/T-12 incomplete paraplegic. He will be riding a TopEnd XLT Pro Handcycle funded in part by a grant from the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF).

Traveling with Stephen as his able-bodied companion on this tour will be John Pfeifer, a paramedic and firefighter for the Kettering Fire Department and its acting wellness-fitness director.

The two began their training regimen in January and will continue up to the week prior to the starting gun. It includes both anaerobic and aerobic exercises from weight lifting to cycling the back roads and bike trails around throughout the Miami Valley.

They are riding in this event to raise research dollars for the Transverse Myelitis Association, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, and to raise awareness for the adaptable sport of handcycling to promote health and fitness for people with disabilities.

In 1994, the Transverse Myelitis Association was started to focus on facilitating support and networking opportunities amongst families; provide educational information and opportunities for persons with rare neuroimmunologic disorders and their families and the medical community; investigate, advocate for and support research and innovative treatment efforts; and to promote public awareness of the rare neuroimmunologic disorders of the central nervous system. The Association is fully staffed by volunteers and has 4,000 members drawn from all 50 States and 60 countries worldwide. There are no membership fees. The rate of growth is between ten to twenty new members per week.

Transverse Myelitis, or TM, is a rare neurological disorder that is part of a spectrum of neuroimmunologic diseases of the central nervous system. It silently strikes and within hours can leave its victim with acute paralysis and sensory depletion. Known victims range in age from 6 months to 88 years old and both males and females are equally afflicted. There is hope for a cure to TM and medical research is making great strides toward that goal.

One of the residual effects of spinal cord damage and paralysis is the lack of ample opportunity for physical activity. There are many adaptive sports available, but most are team-oriented and competitive in nature and not conducive to individual participation. One's level of disability is also is a factor when determining which team to join, as one can only compete with others of similar function. However, the sport of handcycling is an adaptive activity that can be either team-oriented or single-participant. One can participate in the sport competitively, recreationally, or both. Further, it doesn't require the use of special chairs, facilities or coaching. Virtually any person, disabled or not, can utilize a handcycle in some capacity and will greatly benefit from the anaerobic and aerobic therapy. With the development of bike trails around the country, the popularity of this sport is growing. However, many people who could benefit from handcycling are not, mostly due to the lack of exposure. Simply put, few people know about the sport of handcycling.

They are currently seeking companies and individuals interested in partnering with them in this event. To date, several companies and organizations have signed on to provide money, products and services.

The last challenge they face is fundraising to help offset the costs involved with the trip. Aside from $550 in registration fees and the cost of their equipment and accessories, there are additional expenses of nearly $2,000. This includes high altitude training and acclimation several days before the start of the tour.

They currently have openings in their sponsorship roster and would like to add you to the team of those helping to make this event happen. If you are interested in helping with this effort or would like information about corporate sponsorship, send an email to steve@sebaldarchitects.com

Web site: http://www.myelitis.org/RideTheRockies