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COLUMNS<br />
…a look at women’s cycling issues in the<br />
mid-Atlantic<br />
Iron Women<br />
According to the Centers for Disease Control and<br />
Prevention, 210,000 women are diagnosed with breast<br />
cancer every year. Unfortunately for Nicole Weaver, a<br />
sports enthusiast from Annapolis, she is one of those<br />
210,000 women. Fortunately for Nicole, she has a<br />
fighting spirit and a strong group of friends who are<br />
fighting right along with her.<br />
Nicole has always been very active and enjoyed the<br />
outdoors. She and her friend Judy Acosta met sailing<br />
and also enjoy mountain biking and road biking<br />
together. Last year, Nicole decided to race the<br />
IronGirl Triathlon in August and recruited Judy to<br />
race and train with her.<br />
In preparation for her training and racing, Nicole<br />
bought new road and mountain bikes and jumped in<br />
to training on a more serious level.<br />
The IronGirl went well for both Nicole and Judy;<br />
both finished their first ever triathlon smiling, in a<br />
little over two hours, and immediately resolved to do<br />
another. Unfortunately, one week after the IronGirl<br />
tri, Nicole found a lump in her breast and was diagnosed<br />
with Stage II breast cancer in September 2007.<br />
Not one to take things lying down, two weeks after<br />
having a lumpectomy on October 1 of 2007, Nicole<br />
and Judy hiked the Grand Canyon rim to rim in one<br />
day. They covered 21 miles and about 8,000 feet of<br />
elevation in 12 hours and 25 minutes!<br />
RECUMBENT =<br />
Comfort<br />
20 <strong>April</strong> <strong>2008</strong><br />
PEOPLE ASK US<br />
WHO RIDES RECUMBENTS?<br />
We tell them avid cyclists<br />
overcoming discomfort from a physical<br />
condition, people coming back to cycling<br />
for exercise who want more comfort,<br />
and people that like to be different.<br />
We welcome them all and try to help<br />
them fi nd the recumbent that<br />
will get them out riding.<br />
We’re fi ghting “oil addiction” with<br />
human powered transportation.<br />
Join the fi ght – park your car and<br />
ride your bike.<br />
bikes@vienna, LLC<br />
128A Church St, NW Vienna, VA 22180<br />
703-938-8900<br />
www.bikesatvienna.com<br />
COME TO OUR WEBSITE FOR INFORMATION<br />
ABOUT OUR UNUSUAL PRODUCTS AND<br />
CLICK USED BIKES FOR PHOTOS,<br />
DESCRIPTIONS, AND PRICES OF<br />
OUR PRE-OWNED BIKES.<br />
SPOKESWOMEN by THERESA RICHARDSON t_richardson@verizon.net<br />
Nicole returned from her trip to start her first<br />
round of chemotherapy treatment in November. In<br />
December, Nicole’s determination to continue doing<br />
what she loves through her treatment lead her and<br />
Judy to sign up for the <strong>2008</strong> Columbia Triathlon,<br />
which takes place on May 18.<br />
Even though the race is two weeks after her final chemotherapy<br />
treatment, Nicole is determined to race<br />
and do well.<br />
Not only does Nicole continue to fight to maintain<br />
her active life, she and her friends have taken on the<br />
challenge of raising $30,000 to help fund breast cancer<br />
research. Nicole is grateful for recently released<br />
medications that help her cope with the side effects<br />
chemotherapy and that help her maintain her active<br />
lifestyle, and wants to contribute funds to continue<br />
this valuable research.<br />
To that end, Nicole and her group of friends created<br />
the Blister Sisters. One of their main fundraising<br />
activities is to participate in the Avon Breast Cancer<br />
Walk in Washington, D.C., in May.<br />
The Blister Sisters, which is now 14 members strong,<br />
are raising money for the walk, as well as training<br />
together for the two- day event. So far, they have<br />
carried out two Stairway To A Cure events at the<br />
Annapolis Athletic Club. Members and non-members<br />
of the gym donate money in exchange for a 15 to 30<br />
minute stair stepping workout. These two events have<br />
raised close to $5,000.<br />
Another fund-raising activity the Blister Sisters organized<br />
is a raffle of a Trek Wasabi Cruiser bike donated<br />
by the Bike Doctor Waldorf. Raffle tickets are $10<br />
each and can be purchased on the Blister Sisters website<br />
(www.blistersisters.org) or at their many fundraising<br />
activities. The final drawing for the bike will take<br />
place on May 31 at the Coconut Ball at the Maritime<br />
Museum in Annapolis. Between their Stairway to A<br />
Cure events, the bike raffle, the sale of t-shirts, and<br />
the fund raising for the Avon walk, the Blister Sisters<br />
have already raised $31,000 for the Avon Fund.<br />
Nicole truly is an inspiration She continues her<br />
full-time work as a technology and operations advi-<br />
sor for a non profit called Women for Women<br />
International while receiving her treatment and taking<br />
on the job of creating Blister Sisters and leading<br />
its fundraising activities along with her friend Judy<br />
Acosta. Oh, and don’t forget that she’s also training<br />
for the Columbia Tri in May! She is another<br />
example of one of the many amazing women in the<br />
mid-Atlantic area doing great things. Check in at the<br />
Blister Sisters website (www.blistersisters.org) for upcoming<br />
fundraising activities and to track the progress<br />
and activities of the Blister Sisters.<br />
Theresa Richardson is a Pro XC Racer for Bear Naked<br />
Cannondale, and co-owner of the Bike Doctor, Waldorf, Md.<br />
Reach Over<br />
30,000<br />
Bicycling Enthusiasts<br />
Call 301-371-5309
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