100 Miles Against Cancer
Vikki Baumler knows how to aim high when it comes to setting New Year’s goals. This year, she’s training to ride in America's Most Beautiful Ride — a 100-mile bike circuit around Lake Tahoe in June — with the purpose of raising money to help fight blood cancers.
For Baumler and her brother, Brent, who works in IT at ThedaCare, the fight is personal. “I’ll be riding for my dad, who lost his battle with Leukemia in December 2012,” she said. “He was my funny loving hero, and we lost him way too young.”
This summer’s ride will mark her fifth sports endurance event as a member of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training. Baumler, who works in ThedaCare’s marketing department, has already completed two half marathons, a 100-mile ride and a 150-mile ride for similar events in the past.
“Obviously, it’s a big passion of mine!” she joked. “Last time, I attached my dad’s Veteran’s cap to my handlebars, and he rode along with me all day. He was a big supporter. Each time I finished a ride, I sent him my Team in Training pin, and he always put it on his veterans cap. He had leukemia from Agent Orange exposure serving with the Army during the Vietnam War.”
All that training and fundraising can make a girl hungry, so Baumler’s also put together a “Fueling the Miles” cookbook with recipes donated by local restaurants including Bleu, Hinterland Brewing Co., S.A.L.T, and more! ThedaCare is sponsoring her efforts with the printing of the book.
A donation of at least $10 gets you the e-book, and $15 gets you a soft cover. Proceeds go to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
“So many I know have lost someone far too young to this disease, and yet, due to advances in treatment, many others are striving, surviving, living and loving (not to mention riding right beside me) every single day,” Baumler said. “That’s why I’ll ride another 100 miles around Lake Tahoe — in memory of a great man and in honor of so many who face blood cancer every day.”
Want to learn more? Visit: http://pages.teamintraining.org/wi/ambbr14/vikkibaumler
