I've loved riding for Best Buddies, and the cause warms my heart.
I first rode for Best Buddies in 2007, and I was hooked. In 2008 I met pro bike racer Ryder Hesjedal and swam in the Neptune Pool for the first time. It was on the 2009 ride that I finally noticed the famous elephant seals on the outskirts of San Simeon. In 2010, I rode through the fog on a really fast bike. In 2011, I was a bit jet-lagged, but I made it to the finish. In 2012 the conditions were perfect! The 10th Anniversary ride in 2013 was my seventh (I missed the first three rides). I made it a double in 2014: after crossing the finish line at Hearst Castle, I traveled to start at the Washington Monument. The skies were overcast but the temperature was just right in 2015. My 10th anniversary year was 2016: my tenth trip down the coast! We faced fresh challenges in 2017 and 2018, when Mother Nature denied us our scenic ride down the Pacific Coast Highway. She made up for it with near-perfect conditions in 2019!
The global pandemic in 2020 prevented us from gathering as a group, and had an outsized effect on the community that Best Buddies supports. My donors came through, supporting my do-it-yourself challenge: 370 miles and 13,272 feet of climbing over the course of 15 rides (one for each Challenge).
We were able to gather as a smaller group, for a more modest event, in 2021. We returned to Marin in 2022 with a new (and slightly longer) route, anchored in a very special place. In 2023, I chose the shorter route to avoid my customary late finish.
To learn more about Best Buddies International, follow this link. And thanks for considering this worthy cause.