Dear family, friends, colleagues-
2018 is an important year for me; it marks 5 years that I have been in complete remission after completing treatment for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL) and I am doing something special to celebrate! For the past year, I have been training to compete in the upcoming Joberg2c, a 9-day 900 km mountain bike race in South Africa, running from Johannesberg to the Indian Ocean south of Durban. For my family and I, the race is both a testimonial to and celebration of 5 years in remission, an important milestone in cancer recovery. The race provides an opportunity to “Ride the Beautiful Country”; to see and experience parts of South Africa that very few people have access to! More about the race here:
http://joberg2c.co.za/
Preparing for this race was an incredible journey in of itself. I was able to explore over 8000km of beautiful terrain in Malawi and South Africa over this past year, developing a newfound appreciation for the beauty and therapy of nature, while pushing my limits and tolerance for pain. :)
The race is scheduled for April 20-28. I will be sending updates on our race progress via Facebook!
I am incredibly grateful to my riding partner Robbie Flick for committing to this adventure, to the FOBS riding team for their company and support on early morning and long weekend rides, to friends and colleagues for their forbearance of my often singular focus, and to Maria and the kids for their love, patience, and encouragement through this whole process.
Before, I go, I would like to make one last plug for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. As a patient, I personally benefited from the research supported by LLS. Please consider giving a donation to an excellent organization!
Thank you for your support. Much love,
Saeed