FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM JULY 25, 2019 • BUZZ • THE QUEENS COURIER 49
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Cyclists gear up for 540-mile ride across New York to combat cancer
BY AIDAN GRAHAM
More than 180 cyclists will don spandex
and hit the saddle for a daunting seven
day cycling journey from Staten Island
to Niagara Falls on July 28, in a race to fi ght
an even more grueling challenge — cancer.
Th e 540-mile annual Empire State Ride
was conceived in 2014 by Terry Bourgeois
to raise funds for cancer research — and
has grown exponentially since his inaugural
ride, he said.
“Every year, this ride brings its participants
an experience that will stay with
them the rest of their lives,” Bourgeois
said. “We keep saying it’s a ride cyclists
must try once in their lives, but the impact
— on you and on cancer — increases
exponentially the more you do it.”
Th is year, organizers hope to raise more
than $1 million from riders and sponsors
— which will go to supporting cutting
edge cancer research at Roswell Park
Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buff alo,
according to the organization.
Riders push themselves to the physical
limits during the exhausting cross-state
ride, but fi nd inspiration to keep pedaling
from those who have conquered cancer,
according to one rider who will make
his second voyage this year.
“Th e idea of what they’ve gone through
— this ride is nothing compared to hours
of chemotherapy,” said Brooklynite Phil
Zodda. “I’m not a cancer survivor, but
when you’re riding side-by-side with
someone who has gone through that, you
can’t feel bad for yourself — those mountains
fl atten out.”
Aft er exhaustive days of non-stop riding,
cyclists will make six overnight stops
along the meticulously planned route
at camp grounds in the Hudson Valley,
Albany, Utica, Syracuse and Rochester
until they reach the waterfall wonder of
the world on Aug. 3.
“It’s really more of an adventure as
opposed to a race,” said Zodda. “It’s long
and diffi cult, but I found it to be extremely
rewarding.”
Each night features a cancer-surviving
guest speaker who inspires their fellow
riders with their stories and speaks of
the importance of raising funds to combat
the disease — which claims the lives
of around 600,000 Americans each year,
according to government statistics.
“It’s not so much the illness, as much
as it’s about processing the word ‘cancer.’
Hearing those stories helps,” said second
year rider Scott Cohen from Fresh
Meadows. “You make a wonderful bond
with so many people who are there.”
Cohen said cycling, and the Empire State
Ride specifi cally, helped him through his
personal journey through bouts of health
troubles — including skin cancer, diabetes
and weaning himself off opiates.
“Th e cycling was one of the key ingredients
that’s got me healthy,” he said. “It’s like
an addiction, but it’s a good one. It’s amazing
for the body and mind.”
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