Epilogue

Kurt finished his ride, cleaned up and went to the dinner tent. My family was wiped, having been in the sun for the better part of the hottest time of the day. A couple sat down next to Kurt and he struck up a conversation with them, then gave them a Team Fish BUTNZ! They asked about the significance of Team Fish, and Kurt went on to explain that it was kind of my rallying cry when things needed to change: It's time to either fish or cut bait.

Well, it turns out a woman behind him overheard the conversation and turned around. "Did you say Team Fish," she asked. Kurt replied that he had and the woman introduced herself as Diane. Some of you may remember me writing about Diane last year, a woman I encountered toward the end of the ride as we were both trying to gut it out and finish.

She had scheduled her chemotherapy treatments that year so the LiveSTRONG Challenge fell BETWEEN them and she could ride. I remembered her this year when I hit that particularly lonesome area of road, and I actually rode it apart from everyone so I could remember her and say a prayer that she was well. I had no idea where she was with things, but I know scrappers when I see them and I hoped she was out there kicking butt again.

Well, it turns out she was. Diane has been cancer free for eight months now. Rock on, Diane!