Breast Cancer Fighter Runs Mountain Bike Race in New Haven, CT to Benefit LIVESTRONG

Sept. 7, 2011 - PRLog -- On Sunday, September 18, a sanctioned mountain bike race & fun ride will be held at West Rock Ridge State Park to fundraise for the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LIVESTRONG) in honor of 28 million people across the globe living with cancer and in memory of those who have been lost to this terrible disease. Registration is now open for this event: http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=12505

Proceeds will be donated to the Lance Armstrong Foundation via LIVESTRONG Leader, and recently diagnosed cancer fighter, Rica Mendes' LIVESTRONG Challenge Account at  http://austin2011.livestrong.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=442672&lis=1&kntae442672=8CEFA49EF7234FA6B45C28E7AD3390E6&supId=291580630

Mendes has been a LIVESTRONG Leader with the Lance Armstrong Foundation since September 2009, when she began riding in honor of her Mary Kay Cosmetics National Director, Darlene Berggren, who was fighting cancer at the time. Berggren lost her battle in the fall of 2010, so Mendes continued riding and fundraising in honor of friends and family.

This year, Mendes got a rude awakening when she was told that, not only did she have breast cancer, but that due to a positive BRACA2 gene test result, she would have to have a double mastectomy. All well before the age of 40.

"I was shocked. Here I am, a LIVESTRONG Leader, who simply got a free mammogram to set an example of others, to establish a baseline, and within a couple of weeks, I'd been diagnosed with breast cancer and told I'd have to lose both my breasts immediately, and both my ovaries by age 45. I thought the biggest challenge I'd face this summer was fixing up my kids' rooms before they came back from camp and getting this race off the ground!"

"One in three of us will be touched by cancer at some point in our lives. That's a fact," Mendes says. "I just didn't expect it to be me - not now." According to FDA standards, Mendes wasn't due to have her first mammogram for several years. However, her employer's office management team hosted a health fair that provided free mammograms, and she chose to get screened as a precaution and for future reference only.

"I contacted LIVESTRONG after that baseline mammogram showed something irregular, and within days, well before the biopsy was performed confirming the cancer, I had an instant support network - contacts, reference material, nurses and others ready to answer questions. I had an army of supporters at the ready, just waiting for my signal to help me put my cancer fight into place. And now, I feel empowered. I feel like no matter how lost or scared I, personally, get, there is a huge group of people supporting me to help pick me back up again and show me how to live strong. I am still in the diagnosis phase, and I know I have a long road ahead, but I am already eternally grateful for all that LIVESTRONG has done for me to date. More than ever, I want to give back to them. This race is one way I can."

The majority of EFTA's races are centered around the New Hampshire area, but there has been a Connecticut connection to the organization in the past. "I'd heard there used to be races in Connecticut, but the promoters stopped running the races. There are such beautiful trails here, that I not only wanted to share the LIVESTRONG mission with my fellow mountain bike racers, I wanted to share the trails we have here."

Mendes started working with fellow racer, Sean Drew, on this project when his friend's cancer took a turn for the worse a year or so ago. Drew is an experienced mountain biker from the area, and has been riding the West Rock Ridge trails for years. For him, this is a wonderful opportunity to challenge his fellow racers from EFTA, as well as local racers, to some exciting trails. The racers will enjoy 8 miles laps - Novice racers will ride 1 lap, Sport riders will ride 2 laps, Experts will ride 3 laps and Elites will ride 4.

Registration is now open, and pre-registration is strongly encouraged: http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=12505

Every registered rider will receive a gift bag full of cycling goodies, gift certificates and other items, be entered to win prizes, and a LIVESTRONG wristband. Additional LIVESTRONG wristbands and other items will be available to those who choose to make donations to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Zane's Cycles of Branford, CT will be providing technical support. REI will also be on hand, and providing support. First County Bank has provided bags for all racers and ZiCO Coconut Water will be supplying riders with refreshments. Prizes for the top three finishers in their classes will include RoadID Gift Certificates, Trek Travel jerseys and more.

In addition to the race, there will be a fun ride in the morning and other surprises, so family and friends are encouraged to attend.

Please register today: http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=12505

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We believe in what LIVESTRONG represents and we do what we can, through fundraising, programming, riding, running and swimming, to raise awareness for the 28 million living with cancer today in the Fairfield County, CT & Westchester County, NY areas. For more information, please go to: http://fairfieldwestchesterlivestrong.weebly.com/index.html