My mission: I am inline skating 395 miles across Colorado from the Wyoming border to the Oklahoma border to raise money for the early detection of prostate cancer.

My sponsors have helped me with gear, energy drinks, equipment, sports nutrition, sport therapy, and more.  With their help more money will go directly to the non-profit PCEC.

Thank you to the following sponsors:   vitaminwater (www.vitaminwater) Primal Wear (www.primalwear.com) Drymax Sport Socks (www.drymaxsocks.com) Crocs (www.crocs.com) Breckenridge Brewery (www.breckenridgebrewery.com) GoLite (www.golite.com) popchips (www.popchips.com) Inline Warehouse (www.inlinewarehouse.com) Rick's Eyeworks (www.eyeworkslouisville.com) Dendreon (www.dendreon.com) Pints for Prostates (www.pintsforprostates.org) 95.7 The Party (www.957TheParty.com) 1stBank (www.efirstbank.com) The Transition Companies (www.transitioncompanies.com)

Thank you to the following supporters:  Clif Bar (www.clifbar.com) Sassy Golf (www.sassygolf.net) Copters for a Cause (www.coptersforacause.org) Umpqua Feather Merchants (www.umpqua.com) Dr. Kevin Lutz (www.drkevinlutz.com); Justin Dudley (www.csinjuryprevention.com); John Wayne Cancer Institute (www.jwci.org); Reel Recovery (www.reelrecovery.org); Livestrong (www.livestrong.org); Jim Talaric Photography (www.talaric.photoshelter.com); Bunny Foxhoven (Ergonomic Innovations - Sports Nutritionist);  Noah Yaughn, Arc Media Group (www.arcmediagrouponline.com)

Here's my story:

At the age of 44 years old I was diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Before I was diagnosed, I knew something was wrong with my health and visited the doctor for frequent testing.  My primary physician never thought to give me a PSA or DRE exam due to the common practice of denying younger men prostate screenings.  Only by intuition and seeking out another doctor, was I able to be diagnosed.  Moreover, given the nature of my aggressive tumor, I possibly could have died from this disease before the prescribed prostate screening at age 50.

I elected to have surgery in November of 2011.  Due to complications after, I spent 19 days in the hospital battling 3 serious infections.  I had plenty of downtime to reflect on life and what I wanted to do when I fully recovered.  I felt called to make a difference by raising awareness and funds for the early detection of prostate cancer.  

I am a very active individual and have been inline skating for 17 years.  In fact, just two days after my prostate cancer diagnosis, I went on my longest skating trek ever, a 60-mile skate from Boulder to Greeley, CO.  I had been planning it for months and wasn’t about to let cancer stop me from doing what I love.

Clearly I have a passion for inline skating and now a new intensity for helping others afflicted with this same disease. Therefore, my goal for 2012 is to combine these two passions and raise at least $10,000 for the Prostate Conditions Education Council (PCEC), based in Centennial, CO.  I will do this by accepting pledges, donations and sponsors for a 395-mile inline skate across Colorado.

On September 6th I plan to start at the Wyoming border and end at the Oklahoma border on or about September 15th, 2012.  September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month and the timing of my event will coincide with PCEC’s Prostate Cancer Awareness Week, which provides free screenings to men in Colorado and around the nation.