2021
Friends,
I'm excited to share what I've been up to, how 2021 went and share some news that will shape 2022. This year was adventurous and included a few months away from Doylestown, the hardest bike race of my life, completing a meaningful hiking project, acceptance to a graduate school program, the first semester of that program & starting an exciting film project with friends.
Fifteen days into the new year I packed up the van and headed north to spend a month working and playing in the Adirondacks. Using Saratoga Springs as a base I worked remotely and escaped to the high peaks and long trails that northern New York has to offer. Spending a month on my own and dozens of hours in the woods ignited my energy to plan for the future and dream up some ideas.
While up North, I took action on applying to a graduate program that long held my interest. The program centers on the science of psychological well-being and human flourishing. It trains its students how to bring well-being to their profession and answers the question of "what makes life worth living," with evidence-based theories and multi-disciplinary conversation. I sent off the application in February and returned to Doylestown as the days grew longer and the earth started tilting back towards the sun. Upon return we welcomed a new family member, my brother and sister-in-law’s second son, Martin!
In the Spring, the work from home routine continued and the mid-Atlantic bloomed to life -- It may be the best time of year in Bucks County. My attention shifted back to training on the bike and getting into solid form to prepare for a long-awaited bike race in August. In the winter of 2019, a group of friends decided to target the 2020 Leadville 100, Leadville is arguably the hardest mountain bicycle race in the world. My teammates and I spent the weekends training around Pennsylvania and organizing the logistics for the trip. The 2020 event was canceled, but the 2021 event would run.
For most of the year my brother and eldest nephew (The Nicks) spent each Friday with us in Doylestown. The consistent quality time with them will be a lasting sweet memory of the pandemic. One especially sweet evening in May, I jumped up and down with joy as he mastered his two-wheeler for the first time on the same streets that I had. Pure bliss!
The spring also brought the beginning of a long-awaited clinical trial, which I described on the blog. Being part of a randomized controlled trial tested my patience at times, but the experience was painless and it was a gift to have access to cutting edge science.
Central Pennsylvania had the dirt, climbs and views to prepare for the Leadville 100
In summer, I packed up again and traveled to Maine, my beloved Adirondacks, and finally a big trip out west to race the Leadville 100, and be with friends who've relocated there. From late July to mid September I explored the Rockies in Colorado and clocked many hours in my favorite place: high above the treeline. The race in Leadville will endure as one of my fondest experiences on a bike, and dearest experience with friends.
Side by side, for ten hours in the high desert sun
Around the same time, I stepped away from a six year, highly rewarding career at Holman Enterprises and started focusing heavily on school! I was accepted into the Positive Psych program at Penn and the fall was spent immersing in the rich new community. It's a wonderful experience, especially during a pandemic, to be connected with dozens of new friends from around the world. I'm thrilled to be gaining the skills and relationships that will help me relaunch a career centered on helping and inspiring others.
The pace of grad school picked up quickly in October and challenged me deeply. But the challenge was no match for the fascination and the quality of the experience. After two months of nonstop work, I escaped to the Adirondacks for a weekend of peakbagging and adventure. I climbed my 46th high peak in the Adirondacks with my friends Jason and Dave on a clear day!
The greatest joy of climbing all of the Adirondack peaks was seeing the park’s beauty from 46 different angles
The most unexpected news is about a film project I am working on with my friends Brian and Ryan. Brian is the director of my racing team and producer of the movie. Ryan is a childhood friend, filmmaker and the director of the film. It's called "Mountains We Climb."
The story is about my journey training and racing Leadville with my friends. It begins with conversations from 2019, following my first two brain surgeries before the heat of the pandemic. It centers on the Leadville race, but it's really a story about friendship and community-- how a few excited people from Doylestown had a dream and made it happen together. It will premier as part of the Bicycle Film Festival at the County Theater here in Doylestown in April! The Bicycle Film Festival reaches about 1,000,000 people in 96 nations annually.
Being the focus of a film is fun (also quite terrifying), and I’m most excited when I think about how it might be able to inspire people to climb the mountains of their own lives.
Would you consider helping us bring the film to the big screen by donating to its production? You can help us put it in front of an international audience through several film festivals, including the international Bicycle Film Festival, the international Boulder Film Festival, Filmed by Bike Film Festival, Philadelphia Independent Film Festival, New Hope Film Festival, and the (Bethlehem, PA) Southside Film Festival!
Maybe this film will inspire someone, maybe it will share the joy of being part of a small town community, above all it will reflect the love that you've given me through this two year ordeal. You can donate using the button below, and it would mean a whole lot to us!
2022 will be challenge my resolve and productivity as I attempt to handle another round of treatments on top of a full-time masters degree program. I made the decision in the fall to stop my clinical trial. My brain tumor continued to grow during the trial which indicated that either the trial drug wasn't working for me or I was on the placebo. Since the tumor is growing, I’ll have to address it with other treatment options-- I'm planning on treatment soon in the new year and will keep you updated. Two years ago I learned that I have the best friends in the world, and I grew closer to many of you in those trying months. I’m careful not to put the same expectation on myself for an identical experience but I trust that my community and friends will shape this year in its own transformative way
Thanks for being here, and I really hope to see you soon!
