On Sunday, March 27, 2022, the America Diabetes Association (ADA) Tour de Cure in Lake Nona held an in-person event! Since the onset of the pandemic, the Tour de Cure had been virtual. Seven TeamOne members gathered at 8:30 am, in Lake Nona to kick off this year’s (did I say an in-person) Tour de Cure Florida event. It warmed the team member’s hearts to see the great volunteers, the event’s brilliant array of sights and sounds, the tents lined up displaying all sorts of swag, and the ever-popular Breakfast Cafe with its breakfast sandwiches, bagels, cream cheese, fruit, orange juice, and coffee that made everyone feel right at home, back, and in effect. All the things the team missed the past two years.
The forecast for this in-person event was overcast, with very low humidity at 46%, chilly, and climbing from 65 to 69 degrees. The notorious Florida wind was very much present from 9 – 10 mph with 19 mph gusts and a 0% chance of rain. Mother Nature did not disappoint with the wind.
The Ride
TeamOne had two groups, one participating in the 10-mile course and the other opting for the 25-mile course. This was the first time the team sported the TeamOne “Team of Champions” jersey for an official Tour de Cure event. Yes, it was very well received and garnered plenty of attention from all the participants. 🙂
All the TeamOne riders lined up for a photo-op near the starting line, the cyclists displayed pride, readiness, and excitement. Every year has a different synergy depending on the participants. One thing that does not change, though, is the bond shared by a group ready to fight the wind and successfully master the ride regardless of the size of the group, speed traveled, or course selected.
It didn’t matter whether the 10 or 25-mile course was selected, the team members started the ride together with the sounds that were severely missed while the volunteers cheered them on. The team rode together until the warm-up phase was completed (10% of the course) this is when the two groups parted ways starting on their selected distances. The day was starting to go from chilly to a great temperature for riding and the wind was from firm to strong.
10-Mile Group
The 10-mile group was a small group of three riders, but no less determined to finish than the 25-mile group. A few injuries last year and at the beginning of this year had sidelined our TeamOne 10 miles. However, not to be left out, they rose to the 10-mile challenge.
After separating from the 25-mile group, the 10-mile riders kept an even pace of 10-12 mph. The course was well-marked, and there were no incidents along the way. The 10-mile course was relaxed, a nice conversation pace is the hallmark of the 10-mile group. There were quite a few turns through the neighborhood. However, with little traffic, all the riders were able to focus on just the course and the conversation. Some sights along the way were the VA Hospital, the Adventure Park, Boxi Park, and of course the tree-lined streets. The riders finished in just under an hour. Volunteers handed out finisher medals at the end, and this 10-mile group went to the tent and waited for the 25-group.
25-Mile Group
The 25-mile group was an even number of 4 members. The 10 and 25-mile courses had some overlapping sections which were great to ride as long as possible with the 10-mile group. The first and only stop for the 25-mile group was at approximately 13.5 miles. They only stopped for a 10-minute break before they were back on the road. The team returned to the ride and the first 5 miles started to pass quickly.
The wind was coming from everywhere, it seems as if it thought that the team was not working hard enough. The wind started to pick up even more, and it seemed like it changed direction to ensure it was in the riders’ faces regardless of the direction they rode. The wind seemed like it just to provide a good workout for the team. They would like to say that the next couple of miles passed quickly but they could not. 🙁 Traveling the last 12 miles into the headwind of 17 mph the team finished the 25 miles feeling an enormous amount of pride and ready to have some food while cheering the other riders who were finishing their rides.
Incidentally, the 25-mile group grabbed their medal at the finish line. arrived at the tent the 10-mile group was already back and patiently waiting for the 25-mile group before going to eat lunch at the Champions tent. At the start of the ride, the team was together, they also broke bread and eat together at the Champion’s lunch tent. Of course, the lunch didn’t disappoint the team’s taste buds. 🙂
This marks the ADA’s Tour de Cure 31st year anniversary and TeamOne’s 16th consecutive year of support and 7th consecutive year as the “Team of Champions”!
How We Helped
| TeamOne | ADA Totals |
|---|---|
| Achieved to Date: $7,827 Number of Champions: 7  Corporate Teams: #8 Overall Teams: #15 Number of Riders: 7 Average per team member: $1,129 |
Achieved to Date: $639,425 Number of Champions: 120 Number of Corporate Teams: 26 Number of all Teams: 64 Number of Riders: 740 Average per team member: $1,351 |
Other Information:
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TeamOne’s Part in the Tour de Cure:
* Data and figures derived from the ADA Lake Nona web site . |
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Who is TeamOne
Read the summaries below about the event in TeamOne members’ own words by selecting their name link below (more to follow). Not listed below is Shawn DeLuca who supporting another company but he did sport his TeamOne Champion jersey, took pictures with the team, and rode with his fellow TeamOne members also!
| Affiliation | 10 Miles | 25 Miles |
|---|---|---|
| SAIC | Diana Riley Susie Schmitt |
Zrain Olivencia |
| Family / Friends | Bob Fecteau Seresaa Setzer |
Jodel Jerome Jonathan Nunes |
| Notes | 1 First-time ADA event riders 2 Very close to joining the other Champions3 Also will ride 63 miles in St. Petersburg for ADA Tampa 4 Virtual Rider (a team member who raised funds but couldn’t ride)  Red Rider: A person who rides with diabetes. Tour de Cure Jersey Champions for Diabetes |
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“Fun”raising Activities Winners
The prize purchases were made possible solely with the team member’s support. You can view Drawing Winner’s page for all the winners or the individual by selecting a link below.
- $100 Amazon Gift Card Winner: Adam Schuyler – Orlando, FL
Event Day Statistics
This is the course charted by one of the TeamOne members who participated in the 25-mile route.
Photos
Special thanks to all who provided your photos.
What a year … raising funds was harder and more challenging than the previous 2 years, but the team is still relevant because of the generosity of our donors (our extended team members) who helped us attain the “Team of Champions” moniker for the 7th consecutive year! Who could have predicted it?!
Thank you,
TeamOne
