18th Eric Giehl
21st Pete Palachety
30th Tyler Sweeting

We would also like to welcome Pete Pelychaty to the Quality Care Pharmacies Cycling Team for the 2013 season. Welcome aboard Pete!

IT DOES NOT MATTER.

I was diagnosed with Cancer (Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma) on June 6, 2003. I had a mediastinal mass in my chest just above my lungs that was encroaching on my heart. The mass was 9 x 5 inches in size. The oncologist had said that if we had caught this any later I would have died. My wife and I fought this disease for 6 long months and we beat it.

That summer my brother-in-law convinced me to buy a bike and we started to ride together. Now I used to ride alot when I was a teenager (Palmyra-Victor, Palmyra-Newark, Palmyra-Clifton Springs, Palmyra-Shortsville .. you get the idea). On the bike I felt free and invincible. Or so we thought.

10 months later I relapsed. I was told there was no evidence of the Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, but a couple biopsies showed I now had Hodgkins Lymphoma.

This started another battery of tests. Every couple of weeks I would stay the weekend at the hospital while a new combination of chemotherapy (ABVD, ICE)  was tried to see if the Cancer would respond to it. The Cancer was not responding to any of the chemotherapy. That is when my oncologist said that our only choice was to try an Auto-Stem Cell Transplant.

On December 24, 2004 I went into the hospital for the Auto-Stem Cell Transplant. I asked my oncologist what my chances were at this point. He said you have a 30% chance of getting through this treatment and going home. I started the BEAM chemotherapy treatment that day. It would last 4 hours everyday for 5 days. It was on the 3rd day of the treatment that I was lying in bed wondering how I am going to get through this when I saw this commercial come on. I saw Lance Armstrong and he was some sort of cyclist and he was talking about something called the Ride for the Roses in Austin, Texas. I felt this instant connection. I felt hope for the first time. I kept thinking this guy had cancer, beat it and is now a professional cyclist. If he beat it then so can I and I am going to make it to the Ride for the Roses and ride 100 miles.

That day I started training for this Ride for the Roses. The transplant ward was on the 8th floor. I would walk up and down those 8 floors of stairs twice a day. Once in the morning and once at night. I spent 19 days in the hospital and as soon as I got home I put my bike on a trainer and started riding.

I raised $10,490 that year for the LiveStrong Foundation at the 2005 Ride for the Roses and earned the Green Jersey. I was only 10 months out from an Auto Stem Cell Transplant and was able to ride 75 miles. It was one my greatest athletic achievements.

My point in all this is this. My feelings for Lance Armstrong have never been about his bike or the races he won or lost. The bike was just the object that sparked the connection I felt I have with him.

New Year’s Eve 2012 will mark 8 years in remission for me. I have an amazing wife and even more amazing 4 year old twins (Jamie, & Luke). Something I thought back in 2003 when all of this started would never happen.

Lance in my darkest hour you gave me what I needed most:

HOPE

Nothing the USADA, UCI, other professional cyclists, other amateur cyclists, or the news will ever be able to take that away from me.

Despite the down pouring rain Dwight was able to earn Silver Medals in the 5k Time Trial, 10K Time Trial, and the 20k Road Race for his age group (50-54).

Dwight has worked really hard over the winter and this year with the help of FasCat Coaching. All his hard work and training has paid off!

We would also like to thank all of our sponsors: Quality Care Pharmacies, Rochester Drug Cooperative, EFP Rotenberg, Western New York Wellness, RV&E Bike, Specialized Bikes, Minerva Design, and Tranquility Products who have made this team a reality.

We couldn’t be more proud of you Dwight. Thanks for being a great mentor, friend, and teammate.

During this free 12-week program I was able to connect to other cancer survivors that were just out of treatment or about to go back into treatment. A final goal of the program is to assist participants in developing their own physical fitness program so they can continue to practice a healthy lifestyle, not only as part of their recovery, but as a way of life. In addition to the physical benefits, the program provides participants a supportive environment and a feeling of community with their fellow survivors, YMCA staff and members.

The Greater Rochester YMCA had asked their LiveStrong trainers to nominate one participant to go Austin, Texas and participate in the 2012 Livestrong Challenge on October 21st. On Wednesday Jun 6, 2012 (exactly 9 years to the day of my initial diagnosis of cancer) I was given the most amazing gift. The YMCA of Greater Rochester awarded my wife (Carrie) and I a trip to Austin, Texas to ride in the Team LiveStrong Challenge.  We cannot thank the Greater Rochester YMCA, Delta Airlines, Radission Hotels, Maureen, and Robin enough.

Please join me in helping other cancer survivors LIVESTRONG by making a donation today. You can read the full story and make an online donation HERE.

Family owned and operated since 1972, RV&E Bike and Skate has two locations to serve you, Fairport and Canandaigua. If you are looking for a new bike for the season, there is no better place to shop for all the brand names you love. Their personal and professional service will assist in selecting the right bike for you! If you are looking to accessorize with a new helmet, clothing, tires, pedals or more, RV&E has a wide selection of items for you to choose from.

Now is your chance to take advantage of this amazing deal at RV&E! You can now purchase a $100 certificate for only $50!! That’s right, only $50! This can be used toward anything in the store, including a bike tune up for 2011! There is a limited amount available, so get it now while you can!

The owners of RV&E Bike and Skate look forward to seeing you this spring at their friendly, hometown recreation store! Visit them at their website rvebike.com and stop in and see them today

Click the link below to buy!
Get My Rochester Perks

Still piecing together Dwight’s report on this trip. Looks like he had great weather and a great time.

Update from Dwight:

These are 4 of the 6 climbs we did.

Garren Creek     http://app.strava.com/rides/343624
Craggy Gardens      http://app.strava.com/rides/345985
Caesar’s Head       http://app.strava.com/rides/348584
Elk Mountain Scenic Highway      http://app.strava.com/rides/350486

Mt Mitchell is missing but as you all know that is a big 25 miles up.  Once you open these if you click on the name of it it will give you the profile. The number means the category it is. The cat 1 climb was a bitch at 8+% for 5 miles. Click on the name and it gives you people that have climbed it. I think Ted King is on One of them…

I started out riding around 8:45 having to be at Park Ave by 10:00am. Of course I was really early so I had enough time to have a nice cup of coffee at Starbucks. This also gave me time to thaw out my feet and glasses. They were again foggy for the majority of the ride. The group started off at 10:05 sharp!!! They do not wait for anyone!!! I felt really good throughout the whole ride and again met some really nice people. They are helpful as usual giving tips and advice. The worst part of the whole ride was the road spray. Between the road spray and fog there were times I had a hard time seeing what’s around. I’m not really sure where we rode and if I was dropped I’d definitely be lost. I made it the whole way with the group and headed on home for a total of 57 miles or almost 4hrs of riding. It took me almost as long to clean my bike as it did to complete my ride today. There’s a lot of junk on the roads. Here’s some pics from riding out and riding in from today. Again thanks to our sponsors for keeping me warm. I’m trying my hardest to get my kit cleaned again

During his participation in the Tour of Hope with Lance Armstrong in 2003, Dr. James Fetten, a partner at Interlakes Oncology and Hematology, PC and member of The Interlakes Foundation, witnessed first hand how physical exercise helped cancer patients and survivors improve their strength and endurance. It was an amazing demonstration of the power of the human spirit. As a direct result of his participation in the Tour of Hope, Dr. Fetten founded the The Interlakes Foundation Wellness Program now The Western New York Wellness. The main focus of the program is regularly scheduled bike rides for cancer survivors, the first of its kind in the Rochester community.

Dr. Fetten came to us wanting to get back into cycling and further our cancer awareness cause. His addition is a natural fit with our team’s connection to cancer survivorship and the Western New York Wellness.