Many people join AIDS/LifeCycle because they know someone who’s participated in the past.  If you’re a veteran of the ride, will you consider being the reason someone signs up today by sharing your story with a friend or family member who’s on the fence?  If you’ve never been a cyclist or a volunteer, we invite you to read this powerful story.  Perhaps Kari & Susan will be the reason you join us on the road this year!

Susan’s Story

To understand why AIDS/LifeCycle is so important to Kari and Susan, you have to go back to the 1980s when HIV/AIDS first emerged in the United States.  During that time Susan applied for insurance, a process that involved giving a blood sample.  A short time after the sample was taken a letter arrived in the mail informing Susan she was HIV positive.

At that time Susan’s gynecologist would not treat her, nor would her dentist.  “It was the dark ages, and I felt like such a pariah.  I thought I would have about two years to live, which was, at that time, the prognosis.”

Not knowing exactly what to do, Susan set out to find a physician.  Fortunately she found a good doctor who was willing to try whatever it would take to beat the disease.  At first he enrolled her in a vaccine trial, but that never produced any results.  For a period of time she tried many different medications which would work for a while, but then would stop working.  At the time, hope was in short supply.  That’s when Susan’s situation took a turn for the worse. 

In 1995, Susan developed full-blown AIDS.  Until that diagnosis, she had never talked about her disease with Kari or her other daughter.  But fearing she might soon die, Susan broke her silence and shared the news with her children that she had AIDS.  “I moved back from New York to Philadelphia to die, and to be near my daughters.”

“I remember her being very sick and frail,” said Kari.  “Even short stints of movement would exhaust her.  We weren't sure how long she'd be around.”

As luck would have it, time was on Susan’s side.  Her new doctor in Philadelphia got her on a drug trial for the very first protease inhibitors.  It was the moment that saved her life.

“I don’t know why I stayed alive long enough to have the protease inhibitors available to me,” said Susan.  “But wow, I’ve had above-normal T-cells and an undetectable viral load for years and years, and I don’t ever expect that to change.”

Kari’s Story

Kari first got involved in cycling for a cause in 2000.  She was in law school, and a friend told her about the Alaska AIDS Vaccine Ride.  She was not a strong cyclist, but she knew it was something she had to do and so she signed up immediately.
 
“On the plane into Fairbanks I met Scott, my first tentmate,” said Kari.  “He and I have now done four rides together, and he’s still one of my dearest friends. We rode in the snow together, slept on a glacier together, and checked out cute guys together.  We laughed and cried and laughed some more.  I was hooked.”

For Kari, that very first ride in Alaska was a defining moment in her life.  It changed her perceptions of her mother’s disease.  It allowed her to see the circumstance not as a hardship, but as a gift.

“I called my mom on the last night of the ride,” said Kari.  “I was at the base of this majestic red mountain with the sky glowing crimson and orange in the sunset.  It was one of the most breathtaking sights I'd ever seen.  I described to my mom the magical view and I said ‘thank you.’  She said ‘for what?’  I said ‘for having AIDS.’  She laughed because she knew exactly what I meant.  She knew that if she had never contracted HIV I would not be witnessing the beauty of nature as I did on that evening, nor would I likely have experienced the single most life-changing week of my life.”
 
Since then, Kari has completed two more AIDS Vaccine Rides and six consecutive AIDS/LifeCycles.  She’s ridden approximately 5,000 miles and raised more than $50,000.  She can’t wait to get on the road this June to share AIDS/LifeCycle 11 with her mother – especially because of what happened last year.

The Journey to AIDS/LifeCycle 11

Susan registered last year for AIDS/LifeCycle 10 as a roadie, one of the hundreds of volunteers who assist with the ride.  She was looking forward to finally spending a week on the road with her daughter and having the opportunity to give back to the AIDS community.  But shortly before the ride, Susan found out she had breast cancer.  She needed to enter treatment right away, which meant she could not be on the ride.

“I have to tell you, the diagnosis of cancer did not break my spirit in any way because I’d already faced the fact that I’m mortal,” said Susan.  “Having already lived through AIDS, it was easier to go through the cancer treatment because I’ve already had so many years I never thought I’d have.  It sounds corny, but each day truly is a blessing.”

Susan made it through her treatments.  She is now cancer free, and she’s ready for AIDS/LifeCycle 11, where she will be serving food to riders at the lunch stop each day.

“Kari is going to guide me through the ins and outs of portable toilets, tents, and communal showers – all these things that are very new to me,” said Susan. “It will be fun!”

“AIDS/LifeCycle is utopia.  It's the way the whole world should be every day,” said Kari.  “People are kind, they help each other, love each other, and go out of their way to support each other when things get tough. I can't imagine being anywhere else during the first week of June, and I can't imagine not riding until AIDS is a memory, or my legs don't work anymore, whichever comes first.”

For both mother and daughter, it will be a time of unity, joy, and reflection.

“Sometimes I wonder who I'd be if my mom never contracted HIV, or if I never went on that first fateful ride in Alaska,” said Kari.  “Would I be philanthropic?  Would I be an agent for awareness and change?  Would I be proud of myself?  I don't know the answers, but I do know that AIDS/LifeCycle is one of the best parts of who I am.”

Will you join Kari and Susan for AIDS/LifeCycle 11?  Sign up to be a cyclist or roadie today!