Day 5

http://www.themmrf.org/

Cancer---just the word alone bring chills to so many people, including me.

Cancer--it effects only other people, it will never affect me.  That is what I use too think until I go older and more educated on the topic.

My first glimpse of cancer was in 1981 when my dad's mom passed away due too Breast Cancer, I was just 10 years old and my dad was just 31--Cancer at that time was just something  we did not talk about, we did not share--we just swept it under the table as if we had the common cold,. She was a fun, loving charismatic person that I can remember. She was at all of baseball games, soccer, birthday parties. Even while she was in the early stages of the disease she still came out too family functions, she was giving her all to her son and his family.

In 2008 my dad was told by his doctor that he had a tumor in his bladder--which was told to our family that it was Bladder Cancer. Bladder Cancer affects primarily people over the age of 55, and in 2012 there will be over 73,000 new cases.  Today four years later, my dad is doing fine since having the tumor removed.

In 2010 I met a gentleman who challenged me like so many too better ourselves through reading, but it was not only reading that changed me--but it was what I was reading that changed me. This person taught me through his work that there is so much more to life than just sitting around and waiting for things to happen. In all of his books he talks about positive attitude, vision, communication, leadership, accountability, ownership servant hood and of course the benefit of reading the Bible and understanding it. It talks about everything that life has too offer--the good times and how too handle them, and the bad times and how too handle them.
This mans name is Pat Williams--SR VP of the Orlando Magic. Author of over 65 books, runner of over 50 marathons, father to 19 children, co-founder of the Orlando Magic. This man has had too balance his life for the last 50 years in order too achieve what he has done--

In January of 2011 Pat was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma Cancer--which is cancer of the blood. It is disease that 60,000 people in the United States have and in 2012-- 12,000 new cases will surface. This Cancer is at this time is incurable. Pat took on the challenge of Mission Remission- and 20 months later after aggressive chemo therapy Pat's battle was successful in that it is in remission. Pat is a fighter, "go get er", never one to back down from a challenge in life, or in sports--Pat has used his situation to help others get help with Multiple Myeloma, and has also helped the research foundation on their mission of educating others on this disease.

Pat has guided, taught and lead so many people since he graduated from high school in Delaware--and he is to this day giving back to his family, work, personal life, friends, co-workers, community that I decided it was in my best interest to challenge myself to ride my bike down to Orlando, Florida to shake this man's hand and tell him thank you. I met this man in Cincinnati where he was the guest speaker--and I shook his hand on his way out and told him what a great motivational speech he delivered--Pat is a teacher not a speaker--for he never spoke down or through me--he spoke too me as if he were teaching me and that is what I want to give back--I want to teach others on this disease, this Cancer--I want others too know that we can get it into remission, because my friend Pat  did it, and he did to the best of his ability--no more and no less, he gave it 100% and today he is in remission.

1033 miles from my house in Carmel, Indiana to Orlando, Florida--sounds like a big task, and it is. But, having cancer and putting it in remission is even a bigger task, one that is dealt with every single day by him and others--so with that 25% of all money raised through my account will be given too MMRF in Pat's name--too carry on his motto "MISSION REMISSION" so that others will have a successful future as Pat has.

Friday,  I rode 30 miles as fast and as hard as I could--2 hours and 6 minutes, that is a new record for me--since starting this benefit on June 19th I have now logged  732 miles--

“The people who turn out best are those people who make the best out of the way things turn out.” 
― John Wooden

For more information and donations please visit the following site-
http://jimserger.com/1033/