Cycling For A Cause: Team Fatty Lives Strong For Susan

Team Fatty has to be the best name in history for a cycling group. It's that kind of recreational sporting humor that keeps people motivated to reach their goals and have a great time along the way.

I learned about Team Fatty at the LiveStrong Challenge last week in Seattle. I was there teaching yoga to the athletes and participants through Rodale and Nissan's Master the Shift program. I also struggled through the 5K to get some street cred with the runners and cyclists and show my support for LiveStrong.

Team Fatty was the team that raised the most money for the LiveStrong Challenge and Lance Armstrong Foundation. Co-Captain Steve Peterson raised $41K individually, and the team raised $144K together. They are a loud and vibrant group that set out to kick cancer's butt.

Most of the team members were in killer shape, and they didn't seem like stoners either. So what's the deal with Fatty? Founder of Team Fatty Elden Nelson, better known as "Fatty" to his friends, followers, and fellow cyclists, isn't overweight. He actually is pretty ripped and has a ton of energy and a huge dose of humor. He wasn't able to ride the LiveStrong Seattle because he was at home with his wife Susan, who is battling metastatic cancer.

Elden has been into biking for the last dozen years or so. Along the way he noticed he was loving eating too much and was gaining weight. He says in his blog he had to walk up hills he once rode easily. He even noticed his knees pushing into his gut while peddling. When his friends nicknamed him "Fatty" he decided he needed to lose the weight so he started a blog, Fat Cyclist, as an unexplored diet tactic: humiliation.

Fatty vowed to proclaim his weight on a daily basis, no matter how bad he was doing. He also wrote stories about rides, bike related stuff, and lately his wife Susan's fight with cancer. Fat Cyclist developed into Team Fatty, a group of passionate cyclists that ride to raise money for the Lance Armstrong Foundation and the Huntsman Cancer Institute, two organizations that Fatty mentions "have helped us immeasurably in our fight against cancer."

The stories of struggle and survival that were told at LiveStrong Seattle were powerful, passionate and inspiring. The LiveStrong Challenge and Lance Armstrong Foundation are teaming with feisty supporters and survivors that are full of life, and fighting cancer with the gloves off. Many race participants pinned the name of a loved one lost to cancer below their race number. The start line was chalked with sayings like, "bring it on cancer", "in memory of", and "Go ahead. Pick a fight." The energy and vigor of athleticism at the LiveStrong Challenge events embody living life to the fullest. We all need to remember to LiveStrong. Thanks Team Fatty. Win Susan!

Comments

[Dredd]

I love these people who can strive for the good life in such dire circumstances!

http://blogdredd.blogspot.com/2009/06/ecocosmology.html

[LiberalBuzz]

Here's the problem

In this weekend's NYT there is a great article about how Cancer research money is 99 out of 99 times going to research that WILL NOT FIND A CURE. It's sort of like a jobs program. Why find a cure when you can work your entire life on grants if you PROMISE not to actually do anything.

Go read the article. IT IS FRIGHTENING.

HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS going to outfits who do almost NO WORK on cancer in order to keep the money coming in because the people granting the money really don't want a cure. What would they do for a living then.

Huffpost should have this as a front page top of the page story. Money going to researchers who drag their feet..."Pl­aying it safe".

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/28/health/research/28cancer.html?th&emc=th

[VicDaring]

That story doesn't quite say what you're claiming it does.

It does point out that the grant system tends to fund the projects with the best chance of success, which are generally less daring.

But it doesn't even suggest that labs deliberately doing nothing just to keep the cash rolling in.

[stevpete]

LiberalBuzz - You are correct in pointing out that the grant system is ineffecient in allocating cancer research funds.
But the story with the LiveSTRONG Challenge and the work the Lance Armstrong Foundation is doing is Survivorship. The LAF gives those stricken with cancer the tools to fight and live with a positive winners attitude, and they allocate program funds to cancer clinics that are doing good work.
And do not be misled into thinking people are dying at the same rates now that they were 10 years ago. The advances in survival rates are astonishing. Some of that research money must be yielding effective cures.
LiveSTRONG! WIN Susan!
Steve 'Clydesteve' Peterson
P.S. And, Tara, thanks for the shoutout for Team Fatty. We intend to keep going at the other three LiveSTRONG Challenges. And, my daughter & wife enjoyed your class.

[latinopride]

Where was that photo taken?

[Pema]

are people who drink beer drunks too?

[NevaforLeadership]

Great photo!