In Madison, Wisconsin July 31-August 4.  Look out the rest of the country because Team Arizona is coming to WIN!!! I am very happy and proud to be able to compete in the Games and be one of many athletes representing the great state of Arizona. For most, if not all of us who are able to attend, the road to the games has been anything but smooth. For me personally, I reached peak fitness 1 week before the 108 mile El Tour de Tucson bicycle race last November before a nasty cold the week of the race derailed my comeback dream of doing a Platinum ride. I still started the ride from the front and had my best time ever at the half way point, but the cold took it’s toll the second half and I faded badly still finishing the 108 miles easily but not as fast as the first half indicated . But to put things in perspective, it wasn’t a bad ride for a guy who had  a cancerous brain tumor removed on March 5   8 1/2 months prior to the big race - not to mention the kidney transplant I had 27 years prior, etc…

This year has been full of many challenges also.  A breakup of my 6 year plus relationship with my girlfriend, the bankruptcy of my 2 largest clients who accounted for about 75% of my income, a new job, moving myself and my son out of the home we had previously shared for nearly 6 years and the consistent 60 plus hour work weeks helping people with their transportation needs thru the  Jim Click Automotive Team. I have found little, if any time to train effectively, much less get in many rides at all. Things have started to settle down as of late and I have the past several weeks been able to hit the gym and get some quality rides in. Obviously I’m not where I want to be physically for the U.S. Games, but where I am is where I am and as ingrained in my DNA- I will not lose hope, give up  or quit because I’m not as fit as I would have liked. Life gets in the way sometimes with all of us and we just have to keep pushing on until we get to the top of  our own mountains that we must climb. I have wanted to compete in the U.S. Transplant Games for many years, but now I feel the time is right. I am very excited to be finally going after almost 28 years post transplant. I can’t wait to hear others share their own stories and I hope that I can inspire, motivate and give hope to those 108,000 plus people waiting  for a life saving organ transplant in the U.S, their friends and families, and the millions of people who will hear about the games across the country. Please sign your donor cards. The live or lives  you save may be people you know. You can register at: www.donatelifeaz.org .