For those that do not know us, we are Mike and Joslin Amaral of Vitality Obstacle Fitness. We have been a part of the Vitality family for the past 3 years. We are going to be riding in the Autumn Escape Bike Trek, which is a 3-day 160-mile bike ride from Plymouth, MA – Provincetown, MA to support the American Lung Association. When we started doing this ride in 2015, there was only two of us. That first year we experienced our first “Spirit of the Trek” which was enlightening at the very least. We watched as each speaker took the stage to share their stories of loss, of their fight, surgeries etc. Some of these “survivors” were riding on this trek, completing each day with an oxygen tank. If that is not inspiring, I do not know what is. Did you know more than 32 million Americans suffer from lung diseases such as asthma and COPD that makes it more difficult for them to breathe? How about the fact Lung Cancer is the number one killer of both men and women today, and is the third leading cause of death in the United States? The kicker to these statistics...it is not just from smoking, which is the ever-popular misconception. Anyone can be diagnosed with Lung Cancer. In looking at our own lives, we realized how many people we have lost or are struggling with some sort of lung disease. It is because of them that we ride.
We now have a team of 10, called the RFTC (Riders for the Cause). Last year our team raised over $8,000. We all ride to remember someone, to raise awareness because many people are not educated on how many lung diseases are out there affecting people daily. Our goal is to raise awareness and money to help the American Lung Association provide resources, education, research and help Americans breathe easier.