Four years ago, Nick Park of Bakersfield, California, weighed 400 pounds and suffered from obesity-related diseases. He was also the primary caretaker for his cancer-stricken wife and their three sons.
But oh how things can change. After having life-saving surgery, he took up mountain biking to help him lose weight and joined a local community of fellow riders to learn the basics of training and bike handling. He soon began competing in mountain bike races.
Park’s story won him entry to the 2013 Leadville Trail 100 MTB ride during last year’s Ride That Changed It All contest. The ride marked the start of his new life as a biker. The video below details his remarkable journey.
Now, Boa Technology Inc., maker of the Boa Closure System found on many brands of cycling shoes, is launching the second Ride That Changed It All contest celebrating the human spirit to push past obstacles in life.
Two winners will receive entry to the sold-out Leadville Trail 100 race (LT100), an epic, high-altitude race through the mountains surrounding Leadville, Colorado.
For a chance to win, entrants submit a story about why they want to compete in the LT100 at the Ride That Changed It All site or on Boa’s Facebook page during the month of May.
Selecting the winners in this year’s contest is four-time Leadville Trail 100 MTB champion Rebecca Rusch. The contest winners will be announced on June 4th.
“The Ride that Changed it All is a chance for us to support peoples’ ambitious dreams to do something they never thought possible,” said Boa Technology President Mark Soderberg, a two-time national mountain biking masters champion. “We partnered with the Leadville Trail 100 MTB race because of its reputation as one of the country’s toughest events that many riders aspire to complete.” —Sean McCoy
