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Rick Schulze
I have been cycling on an off since I was very young. As a boy it provided me with ways to explore the world, to go farther
than the local play ground or wait until my parents took me camping. I remember packing up my bike and going to a park that
overlooked the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, right where they merged. I would ride out there and feel good about my effort
and always felt like I was on an adventure. Doing so always meant I seemed a little odd to the other kids so I always seemed to be alone
on these trips.
As I grew older, riding the bike was an on-again, off-again love affair. This usually was controlled by where I was in the Navy
(I joined very young) and what I was into as a teenager. I never went more than a couple of years all the way into my forties
without going back to the bike. What was once a mission to seek an adventure turned into a vital part of my life to relieve
stress and preserve my sanity against all things 'adult'. After a particularly rough patch in my life, I jumped on my bike again
and started getting back in shape to do the Solvang Century; something I had done many times in the past. It felt great to get back on the
bike and the century was going along great until mile 93; I went down hard and snapped my femur.
Following the crash I rededicated myself to the sport, sold my Lexus to afford a really nice race bike and I haven't looked back
since. I am a CAT4 racer with plenty of excuses why I am not a CAT3. I give back to the sport by being a licensed USCF Race Official
and working the other side of local races. In 2007 I completed two-man RAAM; Race Across America. During this expanse of time,
something else entered my life that provided a challenge; my wife was diagnosed with Non-Hodkins Lymphoma - cancer.
We tried to raise money for two different cancer charities in 2007 on the RAAM effort, but due to a late start and poor Marketing,
we were not as successful as I would have liked. We are going after a new charity this year and with a whole new focus and Marketing
ideas and help. We're sure to make a difference this year.
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