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 by: Bill Oetinger  9/1/2013

Greg and Zach Lester's Excellent Adventure

I’m going to let other people write most of my column this month, in particular my Santa Rosa Cycling Club mate Greg Lester.

Greg and his 23-year old son Zach completed the northern tier PAC Tour this summer on a tandem. That in itself is quite an accomplishment. PAC Tour is a ride across the United States, west to east, with each daily stage averaging 112 miles. There are 32 of those days, more or less back to back, with a few "active" recovery days along the way (meaning days with shorter, sight-seeing rides off the main route). That’s a hell of a bike ride for any of us.

The LestersWhat makes Greg and Zach Lester’s ride a bit more noteworthy is that Zach has Down Syndrome. Having now completed this ride, Zach becomes the first Down Syndrome individual to ever ride a bike across the country. And he did it on PAC Tour, just about the toughest, most challenging way you can ride across the country, aside from doing RAAM.

I know next to nothing about Down Syndrome. I read the Wikipedia entry on the condition before writing this column, and that’s pretty much the extent of what I know, aside from the experiences all of us have had of meeting Down Syndrome individuals out in the world. In addition to providing a number of interesting technical tidbits, the Wiki piece tells us that the severity of the disability varies considerably across the population, with some people unable to care for themselves entirely and others so close to full competency that they attend regular schools, sometimes graduating from high school and even attending college. I don’t know where Zach Lester falls along that competency curve, but at least when it comes to cycling, he’s right up there with most of the rest of us, and in some intriguing ways, he might almost have an advantage.

This is just my observation, based on Greg’s account of their transcon tour. (The main point of my column this month is to get you to visit the blog Greg set up as a journal of their journey. You can find it here. I enthusiastically encourage you to check it out.)

All I hope to add to that is a little background, plus a few quotes from others about the whole deal.

I’ve known Greg for several years, although mostly at a distance. He is a member of our bike club, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen him on a club ride, and only once at a club function. That was at one of our end-of-the-year banquets, where we hand out awards for deeds done over the course of the past year. In that particular year, we were presenting him with our prestigious Gearhead award, the highest honor in our club, for extraordinary accomplishments on the bike. In Greg’s case, the accomplishment was having completed yet another edition of the Furnace Creek 508 (over 500 non-stop miles through Death Valley and the surrounding desert wilderness). Greg has thus far completed seven solo 508’s and is entered again for this year’s running (coming up next month).

In swapping e-mails with Greg about the award and his big rides, he told me he was really proudest of the rides he does with his son Zach. He went on to explain a little about Zach. Not long after that, I ran into the two of them out on a ride. I took a break on a ride at the coffee shop/bakery in Duncans Mills, and found Greg and Zach taking a break there too. Greg introduced me to Zach, and we had a brief chat. What impressed me--I mean, really impressed me--about that brief visit was how comfortably, unconditionally supportive and proud the father was of the son, and how that love and affection worked both ways, from father to son and from son to father. I don’t want to make this sound too sappy. It wasn’t sappy at all. It was just two good people who were good with each other and good for each other. It is believed that children dealing with the challenges of Down Syndrome do best in families with good support and affection. That certainly appears to be true in the case of Zach.

That was a few years ago, and now Greg and Zach have worked their way up to this rather grand accomplishment. How they got to the PAC Tour and how they did on all of those days, pedaling across this great continent…that’s a story that you will have to read in Greg’s account. Please find the time to check it out. If you can’t read it all in one sitting, bookmark it and drop in now and then for another stage or two.

I’m just going to add a note that Greg sent me when I asked about this, and also some notes from folks who have met Zach on the road…

"We all want to find or create a niche in life where we are happy and successful. Because of who Zach is, cycling and PAC Tour in particular is that niche for him. Just as cycling clubs are composed of people from all walks of life who have cycling in common, the tours that Zach and I have been on are composed of people from all walks of life from all over the world. Cycling is what he has in common with everyone and the daily routine accommodates his temperament. Zach is appreciated for all the great qualities that make him both a great person and a great cyclist; his toughness, his stamina, his appreciation of everyone of all abilities, and his smile. As I said in the blog, Zach cried when he realized the tour was over and we weren’t going to live like that forever.

"To give you a sense of how he is perceived by others who have ridden with him, here are a few of the many e-mails I have received after our Eastern Mountains Tour last fall and the Transcontinental we just finished:"

"I was astonished at his growth as a person and as a cyclist. Having been passed by and following you two most days, I could see his form improve dramatically from the early Georgia days to the end in Maine. While Zach was not reserved at the start, he developed a friendship with the other riders even faster than most of us do. He made my day at the start with his high-fives and smile and he made my day at the end with his accomplishment. It was the great reward of this ride to see him mature in so many ways and accomplish a cycling goal beyond most cyclists. I expect to hear of more significant accomplishments, both cycling and beyond, in the future. Well done, Zach!" -- Larry

"Zach: I can’t begin to tell you how much your "high five" meant to me each morning and evening. You are an amazing athlete and an even more amazing person. Thank you for the pleasure of your company. I hope we meet again on the road. I would be proud to ride with you." -- Ed

"I don’t know exactly how to say this without sounding a bit insensitive, but for the first few days of the trip I really wasn’t sure what to do with Zach. To be honest, until meeting him, I had never spent time around anyone with any kind of disability. I live in a small town of less than 1000 people and just don’t know anyone with any challenges like Zach has. Zach actually taught me some things about people and about life that are more important than any of the cycling we did. I will always remember that Zach was the person that first approached me on the third or fourth day of the trip and high-fived me. It wasn’t so much that I was avoiding him as much as I just didn’t know what to say to him because I didn’t know if he could understand me. What I realized at some point was that it didn’t really matter if he could understand me or not; he deserved the same camaraderie and encouragement as everyone else. Once I started interacting with him, I realized that he did in fact understand and was aware of a lot more than I gave him credit for. So I learned a lesson; always take the time to get to know a person and don’t let your prejudices and preconceived notions affect how you interact with that person. Sounds like an obvious thing but, in my case, not so much." -- Steve

"Quite frankly, Zach added a new dimension to the ride that for me was unexpected. His cheerful, honest and open presence at all times constantly cracked my self-absorption (that I’m sure bedevils others on PAC Tours) and reminded me of the wonders of life itself, if one can just spend a little longer in the present moment with less ego. Your beautiful son was a perpetual shining embodiment of these values, and as such provided a deep inspiration to me (and I’m sure to others) for which I’ll be eternally grateful." -- Jonathan

Lon Haldeman and Susan Notorangelo, the owners and organizers of the PAC Tour events, have been very supportive of Greg and Zach in their riding challenges. (Greg talks about that in his blog.) Susan sent me this note about them: "From my perspective, the Lesters offer all tours the love they share for each other and for cycling. Greg’s devotion as a Dad (laughing and having fun with Zach and as a FATHER (when he has to get Zach back in line, for instance for drinking Coke at breakfast). The duo amazes everyone with their determination to climb all the mountains, ride every mile, through all the inclement weather that PAC Tour demands. Riding alongside their tandem, I truly had fun cheering Zach, as he pushed his dad up hills faster than I wanted to go…then catching them to do it all over again. The Zach smile comes directly from his heart and soul! We are a better tour when Greg and Zach attend!" (Thanks to Susan for providing the photo that appears with this column.)

So there you go…all sorts of folks weighing in on this very positive topic. Now click on the link to Greg’s journal and enjoy a ride across the country in the company of two special people.

Bill can be reached at srccride@sonic.net



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