Better than riding with Lance Armstrong!!

Last weekend I had the most inspiring experience a cyclist could ever have. A few weeks ago I signed up for the "BORP Revolution 2006" a fundraiser/bikeride that takes place in Sonoma County. The ride benefits the BORP foundation, an organization that was funded by people with disablities to create access to the outdoors, to fitness, to sports, and to recreation for a population who'd been left out. BORP sponsors a variety of amazing programs - their philosophy is that if people do better in sports, they will do better in life.

The ride was fantasic! It was absoutely inspiring to see blind people going off to ride on the back of a tandem and people using handcyles going up the hills!

I had signed up for the 65 mile route. There were approx. 100 riders starting out at 8:30am for the same route (there was also a shorter route, and a 100 mile route that started ealier). Very early after the start the group was lead by this guy on a handcycle, who just zoomed by all of us. There was just no way to catch up to him. He rode alongside teacher Sean - who is a teacher at my daughters school and a very strong cyclist, but had no trouble keeping up and could have probably passed him easily. He was not even wearing any gloves, paddeling with his bare hands - I had never seen anything like it! He is my new hero - and I found out afterwards that he is an olympic champion...

His name is ALEJANDRO ALBOR! He has a website and his biography reads like tragically romantic novel.

I feel so honored to have met him - this was a dream come true to go on a ride with a TRUE champion - much better than going with Lance or Floyd..

I just wish I had gotten his autograph!

I just wanted to thank all of you who have made it possible for me to ride, by making a dontaion to the BORP foundation - and if you have not done that, it's not too late you can still donate!