“She Made Me Do It”
Special Tour de Pink Issue · March 2013
Family and friends fuel team with inspiration Why Tour de Pink? Well first and foremost, I am a breast cancer survivor and believe that education and services are the ways to help save more lives. Tour de Pink, which benefits Pink Ribbons Project, helps to provide these services. In 1996, at the age of 36, I was diagnosed with breast cancer with no family history, having my children before the age of 30, nursing them both, exercising regularly and eating well. So why me? Who knows or who cares at this point … what I do know for sure is that early detection and having insurance to get treatment did save my life, and that is what I want others to have as well. I can do that through Tour de Pink. Ride Director Margaret Shelton invited me to join her with a new ride in 2005 called Tour de Pink. How could I say no to a breast cancer ride — or Margaret, for that matter? I had already walked six, 60-mile, 3-day walks in four years for breast cancer to help raise awareness for services and education. I knew that a 1-day, 60-mile bike ride would be a breeze after doing the MS150 for a few years. What I didn’t count on was how much fun it would be with all the wonderful rest stops (called Pink Pit Stops) and the volunteers who were excited to be there, working to make the ride fun for the participants and supporting the fight against a disease that I had endured. I enjoyed the ride so much that, in 2006, I started to volunteer to help with packet pickup and logistics of the ride. In 2007, I took on the task of leading the Survivor and Novice Training Ride Series. I really
Donna with a few of her team members in 2012.
felt that being there for the breast cancer survivors was important and to let them see that riding was an activity that we — as survivors — can do to maintain and improve our health without needing a gym membership or lots of equipment at home. We just needed a bike and a helmet! The training series began in 2006 to encourage breast cancer survivors and novice cyclists to ride in Tour de Pink. I was excited at the prospect of teaching new riders about cycling and the rules of the road. With the help of volunteers who also attend the training series, survivor and novice riders have the opportunity to build confidence to ride their bikes on the open road (vs. the trails in the park, or “just in their neighborhoods.”) It is exciting and fun to see people come to the training rides who have not been on a bike in a long time, some since childhood. The progress they make and the confidence they develop is rewarding. Many of the people who attend the training rides begin by thinking that they only can do 12 miles. They soon find out — like with cancer — you have a lot more in you than you think! Kay Everett, a training ride participant said, “I so appreciate the opportunity of participating in Tour de Pink training rides (and participating in the event itself). Without the training rides for novices such as myself, I probably would not have dared to pull my bike out after not being on it for more than a decade!” Because of my belief in the mission of Pink Ribbons Project, I was always asking my friends, family and even strangers to join me on this great ride. After 4 years of just inviting people to join me, someone suggested that I start a team. But what to call it? I had given my friends a hard time about riding Tour de Pink with me, so the name of the team — She Made Me Do It — came about per my friends and family! Someone once told me, “While we do give you a hard time about making us do it, the truth is each and every one of us is honored to ride with you — to continues on page 2
2012 Tour de Pink Award Recipients BEST PINK PIT STOP
C ARRIZO O IL LARGEST TEAM
B IKE B ARN TEAM WITH THE MOST NEW MEMBERS
MD A NDERSON C ANCER C ENTER TOP FUND-RAISING TEAM
B RACEWELL & G IULIANI BEST TEAM SPIRIT
P EARLAND P INK
Team Pearland Pink.
In this issue: Featured Sponsor: SoftLayer. . . . . . . . 2 2012 Tour de Pink Outstanding Volunteer of the Year. .. . 2 2012 Volunteer Award Recipients . . . . 2 2012 Tour de Pink Top Fund-Raisers. . 2 Thank you to our sponsors! . . . . . . . . . 3 Spring is here, and so is our new Executive Director . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Pink at the Brown returns. . . . . . . . . . . 3