Instead, I was on my way to Jacksonville, Alabama, to compete in a time trial bike race. I picked up road racing in my 50s, shortly before I became CEO of St. Jude. At first, it was a stress reliever and good exercise, but I quickly fell in love with the science and technology of the sport, along with the personal competition that drives me to get better each time I get on the bike.
At the race on Saturday, I met people from all over the country who had traveled to this small town in Alabama for the Cheaha Challenge Gran Fondo. I raced in the individual time trial, a 12-mile all-out race against the clock where the quickest time wins. It wasn’t my best performance, but I crossed the finish line second in my age group. Before I took my place on the podium, someone told me that my second-place medal guaranteed me a spot at the UCI Cycling World Championships. Apparently, the event was the only qualifying time trial race in the United States and Canada.
I’m headed to Scotland this August to represent the United States in the Gran Fondo Individual Time Trial. I’ll be an amateur rider, of course, but thrilled at the opportunity to participate—and be a spectator at the professional cycling world championships, where the best bicycle racers around the globe compete for the rainbow stripes jersey that is awarded to the world champion. As for me, my U.S. jersey will be enough for me to hang proudly on my wall when I get home. 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships
