Bike Ride for Global Health

by Melissa Campbell

The saying "It's just like riding a bike" took on new meaning for fourth-year student Jim Fausto this spring. An avid cyclist in high school and college, he and his bike had become somewhat estranged during medical school. But as one of 24 medical professionals selected to participate in a 3,700-mile bike ride to raise money for and awareness of global health issues, Fausto had to get back in the saddle while studying for exams and juggling residency interviews.

The inaugural Ride for World Health (R4WH) kicked off on April 2 in San Francisco and concluded May 22 in Washington , D.C. Along the way, the group hosted 34 lectures in various schools, community centers and medical offices. Fausto, of Randolph , NJ , served on the education committee, coordinating 10 of the lectures.

The cyclists wanted to raise $250,000 for Partners in Health, a global nonprofit organization, but first, each needed to raise $2,500 to cover expenses during the seven and a half week journey. Fausto, who enjoyed tremendous support from his colleagues at New Jersey Medical School , personally raised $3,900.
Fausto finished the ride and quickly made his way back to New Jersey for Convocation. He had a few weeks of rest before beginning his residency training in Family Practice at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx , NY . Fausto plans to specialize in addiction medicine. During medical school, he spent time studying at the Betty Ford Center for Addiction Disorders. Fausto's other volunteer interests have taken him to Ireland ,Canada and Ecuador , but on all three occasions, he left his bike at home.

Ride for World Health

Travelogue

By Jim Fausto

San Francisco , April 2

Well, this is it. We start today. After dipping our back wheels in the San Francisco Bay , the inaugural Ride 4 World Health will begin making its way across the country. The plan is to ride 20 miles, then stop for a snack break, ride another 20 miles, stop for lunch, then log another 40 miles in the afternoon stopping half way, before retiring for the evening. We'll take turns driving the support vans, taking care of the equipment, planning the route, and cooking meals so every fifth day we get a chance to re-charge.

Nevada

Can't believe it snowed in the Sierra Nevada Mountains today. Once we got down over the pass, it was a beautiful spring day--quite a contrast.

Utah

We've logged over 900 miles so far and we are all a little sore. Ibuprofen is now referred to as Vitamin I. I forgot how sore I was, though, while we camped at Bryce Canyon . We arrived around 3 p.m. and had some time to explore. What amazing views. In a small town outside of Boulder , a park ranger we had been in contact with prior to the ride arranged for us to stay with a few of the other park rangers in the area. We had become very accustomed to sleeping communally in high school gyms, our regular accommodations, so it was almost a little lonely to be with just a few people. We were scheduled to present a lecture here and were overwhelmed by the generosity of the 150 people who prepared a potluck dinner for us before the talk. YUM!

Colorado - Monarch Pass

The high point of the ride, literally, was Monarch Pass , which topped out at 11,312 feet. Going up the eleven mile hill took some of us close to two hours, but coming down, it took only about 45 minutes--my top speed was about 53 miles an hour!

Kansas

The flatlands of Kansas were definitely a welcome sight after the hilly terrain of the previous states. We met a very friendly Vietnamese potbelly pig along the way who made us feel very welcome. We did a lot of smart riding along the way, drafting to cut down on wind resistance and taking turns breaking the wind. There were a few experienced cyclists among the group as well as some relatively new to the sport with the rest of us somewhere in between. Every day we had about three or four flats; over the course of the trip, I'd estimate we must have fixed close to 200 tires.

Missouri

Each morning, after waking up, eating and getting our bikes and brains ready for the day, we would circle up and go over the day's route. We instituted another morning tradition, the nomination of the All-Star award for going above and beyond and the Goof Ball award for, well, just about anything we deemed goofy. One woman managed to hold onto that honor for a whole week! I won't say what she did to deserve it, because, after all, what happens on the Ride 4 World Health, stays on the Ride 4 World Health!

Zipper Day!

It was somewhere in Missouri that we reached the halfway point of our journey. Because the bike route was printed horizontally across the front of our bike jerseys, we knew we were half way when we made it to the zipper. We had been keeping track of our progress thanks to those great zippers.

12 days of rain

It's hard to believe that for almost two weeks it rained. It started in St. Louis , and somehow we managed to ride with the storm front through Illinois , Ohio , Indiana and West Virginia . We were an interesting collection of people, equally divided between primary care and surgery. My thought is that we reflect the two types of people who would find this trip compelling--the easygoing, hippy types who want to save the world and the sporty, competitive types who thrive on a challenge. Guess that's what makes the world go 'round!

Ohio

Riding into Ohio was akin to a homecoming. Since the ride was conceived by a group of medical students at Ohio State University Medical Center , there was a lot of excitement abounding when we rolled into town. A number of people met up with us outside of town and rode in with us. The school had designated it Global Health Day and we presented several of our lectures to a huge crowd. We had prepared a total of four lectures for the trip and all of us were able to deliver any of them: HIV/AIDS, Global Health 101, Childhood Health and Survival, and Access to Health Care.

West Virginia

It's amazing how surprised people are when they hear most of the statistics we cite in our lectures, for instance, 11 million children die needlessly each year from AIDS, TB, malaria, parasites, and malnutrition. And at least two-thirds of these deaths are preventable. A $3 insecticide treated mosquito net can save hundreds of dollars in medical treatment for malaria and can save a life if the medical treatment is not available, as is the case in so many places.

Washington , DC

Home stretch. Probably the best part of the ride was not the ride itself, but the opportunity to see America from a completely different perspective. I was continuously overwhelmed by the support and generosity of the many people we met along the way, most of them complete strangers. And of course, I have made friends for life. We have all pledged to do an alumni ride next year, joining the 2007 riders for a leg at some point along the way. Even after 3,700 miles of sore knees, tired muscles and road rash, I can honestly say I am looking forward to it!