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Raisin Hope: Riding the Wasatch — and then some
One year ago, how could I possibly have dreamed where my life would be taking me? I’m living in the shadows of Utah’s beautiful Wasatch Mountains beside the love of my life, Aleeza. This area is a bicyclist’s paradise. There are lots of great climbs through the mountains, bike paths and bike lanes throughout the city, and a big population of fellow cyclists. I love meeting people while I ride. It’s amazing what a “hello” can lead to.
The other day, for instance, I got into a conversation with a guy I happened to ride past. He mentioned that he was a cinematographer and I told him a bit about myself. I mentioned that the Versus TV network had recently asked me for some footage to use along with an upcoming interview when I stop by their broadcast booth during the Tour de France stage to Marseilles on July 18. Long story short, the B-roll for my interview ended up being shot by the same guy who filmed “Napoleon Dynamite,” Munn Powell. I didn’t take my bike off any “sweet jumps,” though. It never ceases to amaze me who you can meet while riding a bike.
I am in France now for team testing. It’s the final hurdle I need to clear in order to ride at the Greenville Hospital System
At the start line I felt calm, but once the race was under way I started experiencing all sorts of emotions. I can’t possibly explain how good it felt to be back, riding competitively again. The pace was really fast and the adrenaline got pumping. As I climbed the hill people were yelling, “Go Saul!” I wanted to thank them all and let them know how much their support meant to me.
I think it was the ideal initial race for my return because it’s all uphill. I didn’t climb as fast as I thought I’d be able to, but that felt surprisingly irrelevant as I neared the finish line. I kept thinking to myself, “I’ve just done what the doctors thought would never be possible again — just being here is a victory for me”
A cool bonus was that my parents and fiancée got to ride in a car ahead of me for the entire race. At the finish line Mom and Dad both told me they were impressed with the way I handled myself and the bike under race conditions. They’ve been very worried about that, so it feels good to set their minds at ease, at least a little bit. Aleeza gave me a great big hug. I sure do miss her so much here in France. I feel like I have left the best part of me behind. And by the way — we’re going to be married in December.
Another exciting development is that my new book, “Tour de Life: From Coma to Competition,” has come off the presses. The main goal with the initial printing is to get reviews, so hundreds of copies have been sent out to the media. But we’ve also shipped books to pre-purchasers and to people who are buying copies off the publisher’s web site.
It makes me proud when readers tell me that the story was meaningful to them. Every reader brings his or her own set of experiences to the book, and it’s fascinating to hear how that affects their interpretation. I still get emotional when I read it, everything from tears of happiness to tears of sadness. My book documents my journey from death to life, beating all the odds and then some, even when I had no chance at all. Given the amazing journey of the last 12 months I can’t help but wonder where the next 12 might take me. By then I’ll be married; with luck, I’ll have raced in pro races; and who knows what else? The only thing I can say for certain is that there are blue skies ahead.
Saul
For more about Saul’s book, see www.tourdelife.us. — Editor
