On Sunday, March 26, 2023, the America Diabetes Association (ADA) Tour de Cure in Lake Nona! Three TeamOne members gathered at 7:00 am, in Lake Nona to kick off this year’s Tour de Cure Florida event. As every year, the team’s hearts were warmed 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.
The forecast for this event was overcast, with very high humidity at 80%, warm and climbing from 64 to very hot 93 degrees. The notorious Florida wind was very much present from 5– 10 mph with 15 mph gusts and a 0% chance of rain. As in previous years, 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 50-mile course. This was the second 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 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, 25, or 50-mile course was selected, the team members started the ride together with the sounds of the volunteers cheering 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 (Diana, Bob, and Meelo) who started their ride at 9:30 am. 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 could 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.
50-Mile Group
The 50-mile group had an even number of 4 members. The first stop for the 50-mile group was at approximately 12.5 miles by the big lake in St Cloud. They only stopped for a 10-minute break before they were back on the road. The team returned to the ride and the next 5 miles started to pass quickly.
The wind was coming head-on, from the Southwest direction, it seemed as if the wind thought the team was not working hard enough. The wind started to pick up even more. The wind seemed like it just to provide a good workout for the team for the first 25 miles. The next 16 miles passed quickly because the wind was to the back of the team pushing them along. The team picked up the pace to 19 – 20 mph for the remaining 25 miles and finished the 50 miles feeling an enormous amount of pride and ready to have some food while cheering the other riders finishing their rides.
The 50-mile group grabbed their medal at the finish line and arrived at the tent, the 10-mile group was already back and patiently waiting for the 50-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 ate 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 32nd anniversary and TeamOne’s 17th consecutive year of support and 8th consecutive year as the “Team of Champions”!
How We Helped
| TeamOne | ADA Totals |
|---|---|
| Achieved to Date: $8,595 Number of Champions: 7  Corporate Teams: 8 Overall Teams: 22 Number of Riders: 7 Average per team member: $1,205 |
Achieved to Date: $698,842 Number of Champions: 110 Number of Corporate Teams: 22 Number of all Teams: 57 Number of Riders: 702 Average per team member: $996 |
Other Information:
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TeamOne’s Part in the Tour de Cure:
* Data and figures derived from the ADA Lake Nona website . |
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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 are Shawn DeLuca and Diana Riley supporting another company, who took pictures with the team, and rode with his fellow TeamOne members also!
| Affiliation | 10 Miles | 50 Miles |
|---|---|---|
| SAIC | Susie Schmitt 4 |
Zrain Olivencia |
| Family / Friends | Bob Fecteau Seresaa Setzer |
Jodel Jerome Jonathan Nunes Kwesi Johnson 1 |
| 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 the Drawing Winner’s page for all the winners or the individual by selecting the link below.
- $100 Amazon Gift Card Winner: Evelyn Cruz, San Diego, CA
Photos
Special thanks to all who provided your photos.
What a year … raising funds was harder and more challenging than the previous 4 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 8th consecutive year! Who could have predicted it?!
Thank you,
TeamOne
