I was never an athlete. Well, not until I turned 48 years old. My brother Jeff was just diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, and I wanted in some way to inspire him as he fought through the treatments that would hopefully save his life. So, I told him I would run my first marathon in his honor, and raise money for the MMRF.  If you knew the shape I was in at the time, you would realize how crazy this was. But a commitment is a commitment.

I struggled through training as he struggled through chemo. I pushed through injuries as he pushed through stem cell transplants.  And by the time I crossed the finish line, Jeff got his KFL number down to double digits, signaling that he was close to “maintenance remission.”   I remember him thanking me (and the huge number of donors) for giving to the cause, and for inspiring him.

I said “Inspire you? You’re the one inspiring me!”  

We were both right. It was a cycle of inspiration between brothers who love each other, and it continues to this day. In the past 9 years, we have raised over $130,000 for MMRF. With brother Brad and Jeff’s wife Ramona on the team, we have finished marathons, Ironman triathlons and mountain climbs. Jeff finished the Boston Marathon when it really shouldn’t have been possible. We have even shared our story of overcoming “impossibility” in keynote speeches for company donors. (Please reach out if your company is interested.)

This Road to Victories cycling trip is going to be special. Once again Jeff is proving what’s possible. Even when the doctor told him to minimize high impact activities like running, he found a vehicle (literally) to raise money anyway.  

I did not sign up for this ride to get ME through it. I signed up to get Jeff through it.  I will take the wind in front of him. I will push him uphill if I have to. I will tell stupid jokes and interview him for social media along the way. I will let him change my flat tires though. He’s probably much faster at it than I am.

And when this event is over, we will look forward to the next opportunity to support MMRF, which is saving the lives of so many Myeloma patients like my brother.  The cycle continues.

For more of the story, visit our donation page at https://endurance.themmrf.org/R2VVermont/GoJeffGo

To book a keynote speech with Jeff and David Goad, email to [email protected]