Rider Spotlight: Pete Getchell

Pete Getchell is a great guy and a good friend.  Seriously, he is the kind of guy that would give you the shirt off his back.  This is evident by the fact that he is now in his 12th year of riding in support of the PMC.  He has championed the cause and put his network on his back (or maybe more accurately they have put Pete on their back!) to raise over $30,000 for the Jimmy Fund and Dana Farber Cancer Institute ($30,627.50 to be exact, and going for $6,200+ more this year).

Ask Pete about this and what do you get?  He’s proud, but disappointed.  He wants to do more.  Talk to any PMCer, especially those that have been riding for years, and they will ALL tell you that fundraising is the most difficult challenge of the PMC.  Year after year, increasing fundraising minimums have pushed riders into the volunteer ranks, or worse, to other causes that aren’t so demanding.

Not Pete.

In an e-mail to our SEI coworkers asking for support, Pete actually said “We couldn’t be more proud to be asking you to donate money to the PMC.  People with cancer are living, and thriving, all over the world because of donations to the PMC.  For the last 3 years, the PMC has been able to push 100% of your money straight through to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute itself. 100% is an unparalleled throughput rate, and one more reason why riders and donors are proud to be a part of the PMC.”

On his paceline profile, Pete says he “Rides for those that fight” and follows with a very touching story about a cancer survivor completing her first PMC.  It’s definitely something worth sharing with you all.  Pete says:

I know of no force stronger than the human spirit.  A testament to that was one of the speakers during opening ceremonies in 1997 (my first ride).   She was introduced as “The rider who finished last in the 1996 PMC”.  I was a bit taken aback by what could easily be construed as a lack of sportsmanship.  I was new to the PMC, I was new to what challenge really meant, so when she stood up there and told her story I was humbled, I was inspired, and I was so glad that the next day I would be able to “do something”.  Her story rattles in my head and gives me goose bumps every January when I reach for the credit card and ask myself whether I need to ride the PMC this year.  Her story went something like this…

In November of 1994 she was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.  Some of her doctors advised her to get her affairs in order because Christmas would be on the far side of the short window she had left to live.  As she went through the available treatments for cancer, she was losing ground, and the grim prognoses appeared realistic.  When it was darkest, just prior to end of the year, she was introduced to a doctor at Dana Farber who was in the process of building trials for her experimental, and risky, treatment.  The speaker underwent the new treatment more out of desperation than confidence.  The treatment worked, she was going to live, but it took a serious toll.

She was incredibly debilitated for months – but she was no longer facing death – she was a survivor.  Her recovery was slow, and it wasn’t until the summer of 95 that she was able to return to her home, and longer still before she could be left on her own for any amount of time.  Then, on the first weekend in August ’95 she was on her own, and yearning for a sense of independence so she took a long walk…all the way to her mailbox (not a stone’s throw from the house).  She made it to the mail box, but the return trip was too much and she collapsed.  The mail carrier found her and brought her inside.  She remembers coming to, propped her in front of the TV where a documentary on the PMC was airing.  As she sat watching, she learned how the riders of the PMC raised the money to fund Dana Farber and her doctor’s experimental treatments.  At that point, after being wiped out by a 200 FOOT walk, she vowed to ride the 200 mile PMC the next summer – and as you now know – she did it.

Pete has had a rough year himself this year.  Pete lost his father, who was also his best friend, suddenly and unsuspectingly earlier this year. It’s motivated him to do even more, so others can hopefully avoid losing the ones that they love.  Pete is dedicated to becoming a “PMC Heavy Hitter” this year – which means he would join the ranks of those that raise $6,300 or more by October 1, 2010.  I have no doubt in my mind that he will get there.

Inspired by this story? Want to support Pete in his quest to be a heavy hitter? Support Pete’s ride here.

Andrea and I are proud to be riding alongside a PMC veteran, and friend, in our 2nd PMC. We’ll see you on the road!