The Reason For My 120k Ride Is My Dad

It was May of 1998, the day of my 14th birthday, and I had selected a group of my friends to go to a local pizza parlor. It was just a few hours before that my father had come home from what I figured would have been just a regular doctors visit. He had mentioned to me in passing that the doctor told him he was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. I had no clue what that really meant other then I overheard my mom mention that her mom (my “Nana”) was diabetic also. To me as a teenager, my father being diabetic meant no more sweets and not drinking the good sodas. Little did I know it was so much more than that.

As the time went by I found myself as a young high school student looking at the nutrient facts on the back of labels before putting items in the grocery cart. I was comparing which juice drinks had less sugar. I was noticing there was sugar in almost everything in our house. The more and more my family became aware the healthier my father would get. He was losing weight and staying active. Growing up I never thought my dad was overweight; I just looked at him as that’s what dads his age look like. Sadly my view of him was wrong. He needed to drop weight and maintain a better diet. Again, I still didn’t fully understand why. I didn’t know that diabetes was a contributing factor to my Nana’s death. I didn’t know my father’s sister was living her life battling diabetes as well. As I grew older I met co-workers, classmates and mutual friends that all lived their life conscious of being diabetic.

My father was my coach. He coached me since I was in second grade. He was the best basketball coach that was just down the hall from my bedroom. He invested lots of money and time helping be the best athlete, even when I stood 5ft tall in 9th grade but was one of the better point guards amongst my peers. Diabetic or not, I knew his pump fake was coming, but it got me in the air every time.

When I started cycling the only ride I knew of was AIDS Life Cycle. It was a 545mi ride over 7 days from SF to LA. I told myself I wanted to ride that one day. It motivated me to ride my bike but the unrealistic goal to be ready in 6 months didn't push me to train. Then I heard about the Tour de Cure. It was a ride for all levels and ages. 25k up to 120k. It was something I could accomplish. I made the decision at the beginning of May that on June 10 I would do so.

So what does knowing about my father have anything to do with me riding 120k? I ride for a purpose now, not just an accomplishment. I'm riding to assist in raising money and bringing awareness for people who live a life wanting to conquer diabetes. I spend hours and miles on my bike thinking what impact I can have on the people around me who suffer with diabetes. If me riding my bike 120k with a fund-raising goal of $1,000 can do that then I'm willing to put myself through the mileage, the climbing, the weight training and the muscle fatigue.

So please do what you can to help. If you would like to donate within the next week then see the instructions below.

To donate:

• http://tour.diabetes.org/site/TR?pg=pfind&fr_id=6830
• First Name: Michael
• Last Name: Bongay
• Click "Donate Now" link 
• Select gift amount

Please stay tuned as I plan to have another post come out shortly about yesterdays ride up Mt. Diablo!

Thank You!