Riding a bike. It is something so simple we make it benchmark for comparison. “It’s so easy, it’s like riding a bike.” But riding a bike is something I took for granted.

When I met Liv, I was in the middle of my obsession with riding my bike in 100 mile events. Because she lost part of her right leg in a bombing as a teenager, she hadn’t been on a bike since then.

She desperately wanted to jump on a bike just like me, but that seemed like an impossibility. She needed a recumbent trike to enable her to experience biking, but they are a speciality — i.e. pricey.

That’s where the Challenged Athlete Foundation (CAF) comes in. Every year they run a grant program to enable thousands just like Liv get special sports equipment — trikes, running legs, etc. You see, they believe that just because you are missing a limb or have a disability, that shouldn’t mean you are denied access to sports and recreation opportunities.

Liv got a grant for her recumbent trike in 2014. Since that time she has put thousands of miles on her trike. She’s been able to complete 50 mile biking events and climb Lookout Mountain. But her favorite is just a simple ride to downtown Denver to have brunch at our favorite cafe and where we got married.

Liv and me biking

Liv and me biking

It is hard to describe the joy that she gets from biking. The best way to really describe it is to say I am now chased by laughter. As I bike down a path, I can tell she is right behind me because she is usually smiling and laughing the whole way. With every laugh, my heart warms and I am so thankful that CAF made this possible.

As you can imagine, giving these grants is a costly operation. That’s why for the 3rd year in a row we are fundraising and participating in CAF’s Tour de Cove. We are donating money and riding on a spin bikes for 4 ½ hours on October 22nd.

I won’t ask you to join us on the spin bikes, but I am asking you to please make a donation to CAF. We want to give back to the organization that has enabled me to be chased by laughter.

Donate to CAF