A long bike ride for a good cause
Wednesday, 10 Mar 2010, 8:50 PM EST
myfoxtampabay.com - click link to read the article and watch video interview of Richard Spayde

TAMPA - Traveling from Tampa to Tallahassee is a long haul by car, but imagine doing the trip on a bicycle. A group of cyclists from here in the Bay Area hits the road this weekend to rally support in the fight against cancer.

For one man, it's a journey he thought he'd never be able to make.

Before he ever got on a bike, Richard Spayde's life had already gone quite some distance.

"I'm in permanent remission now, and I hope to stay that way," Richard said.

This five-year cancer survivor was confined in bed for more than six months fighting leukemia. His body rejected a stem cell transplant, then he had another -- two transplants in 40 days.

"Not many people go into that, and not many people come out alive," Richard said.

So now Richard embraces life to the fullest. He's putting his endurance to the test, traveling three hundred miles from Tampa to Tallahassee -- a long distance journey he's never dared to attempt.

"I try to squeeze every drop of life out of every single day, so that when I go to bed, I know that I did everything I could that day," Richard said.

Everything, including the creation of Cure on Wheels, a local charity Richard and others started to support families dealing with cancer.

The upcoming three-day journey to Tallahassee with ten other cyclists is called the Capitol Ride 2010. Riders like Richard hope it will convince legislators to continue to fund research and programs at Tampa's Moffitt Cancer Center.

"I made the promise that when I was able to, I would do whatever I could to help others, and now that I'm better, that's exactly what I'm doing," Richard said.

And he'll ride alongside his brother -- Richard's only sibling, who was his only donor transplant match. Richard can't wait for the ride of his life.

Richard and the rest of the Captiol Ride cyclists will leave noon Sunday from Moffitt Cancer Center and arrive at the steps of the State House on Wednesday afteroon.

Their bike-friendly, 300-mile route has been laid-out by AAA, so they hopefully won't encounter too much traffic.

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