Team Sarcoma biked Cycle Zydeco

for Sarcoma Research Funding in April 2003

Who am I? My name is Liddy Shriver.  My life was normal until nine years ago when I became aware of a pain in my foot.  After years of nighttime nerve pain, a tumor was found behind my knee. An incisional biopsy showed that the tumor was Ewing's sarcoma/PNET. I have had chemotherapy, surgery that removed eight inches of my tibial nerve, radiation, and more chemotherapy. Unfortunately, my cancer has spread to my lungs and hasn't responded to the standard chemotherapy, nor to the experimental protocols which I have been on. As the disease progresses, I will have increased problems with breathing. Before this happens, I want to take several multi-day bike rides, as biking is one of my passions.  Additionally, I want to raise public awareness of this disease, raise funds for sarcoma research, and raise public awareness of the critical lack of young adult participation in clinical trials. Participating in and arranging bike tours seems like the perfect mechanism to achieve all of these objectives.

Sarcoma, what's that? Sarcomas arise in the connective tissue of the body such as the fat, blood vessels, nerves and bones. About 1% of the new cancers diagnosed this year will be sarcomas. Since they are uncommon, research is under funded. Ewing's sarcoma is one of 50 or so sarcomas; it is rare in adults (approximately 25 cases per year in the US), but common as a bone cancer in children (approximately 250 cases per year in the US). 

Cycle Zydeco and Team Sarcoma.  The first (of what I hope to be many) bike tours "piggy backed" on an existing four-day, 200-mile bike tour, Cycle Zydeco. It was April 10-13th, 2003. Cycle Zydeco is the "Louisiana Cajun and Creole Food and Cycling Festival" that features the food and music that has made southern Louisiana famous.  It wasn't a charity ride, but Team Sarcoma turned our riding in it into one by getting people and organizations to "sponsor" team members. 

Team Sarcoma had eight riders including  me, Tom (my spouse), my mom and dad, my brother Mark and his son Daniel, and friends Rich and John.  This picture was taken right before we set off to ride on the first day.  More pictures can be seen on our tour log.  Articles written about us are here.

There are many worthy organizations for cancer research. The one that we focused on for this bike tour is the Columbia Cancer Center's Sarcoma Center.  Many thanks to our donors; we were able to raise $13,500!

Please email me (liddy@theshrivers.us) if you have ideas on how to advertise our efforts or anything else that might help with our goals.  Also let me know if you are interested in a bike tour for sarcoma research that will be held in Denmark in early July.

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Copyright © 2003 The Shriver Family: Last modified: 01/06/04.