Rebecca Heiss admits she is a stubborn competitor.
But that quality may come in handy on October 15, when she is set to ride through Death Valley, California in the 2011 Ride for the Cure for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
Heiss, 28, is a PhD candidate at The University of Memphis with a single goal in mind for her upcoming race.
"My mindset is just to finish. I know it's not going to be easy and at times I'm going to want to stop," Heiss said. "But I get to stop the pain soon enough. It's one day of suffering. Not like the kids who are suffering every day with juvenile diabetes."
Heiss has been cycling for most of her life.
"I grew up in a family where we would put our camping gear in panniers for the week, and set off on bikes in the hills of Vermont and camp along the way," Heiss said.
Last year's Death Valley Ride to Cure Diabetes raised $107 million. This will be Heiss' first fundraiser to raise awareness for juvenile diabetes. Her cousin, Molly Cramer, was diagnosed with the disease seven years ago.
Cramer has participated in three rides through Death Valley, California.
"Death Valley is the most intense ride because the desert is so hot and the ride is incredibly difficult," Cramer said. "Everyone really works together to make sure everyone else crosses the finish line. The sense of team spirit is alive in this ride."
Heiss spent the summer training for the upcoming event in Florida while working on her dissertation. Heiss also competed in The 2011 Heartland Triathlon that took place June 18 and 19 and placed 22nd out of 158 women. She said her training consists of 30-50 miles rides four to five times a week. She goes on a longer ride each Sunday where she may travel 60 miles or more.
"The bike and I haven't separated at this point," Heiss said.
Julie Roettker is Heiss' Cincinnati coach and advises her on what she needs to do to be prepared for Death Valley.
"I have distributed information about training schedules, proper hydration, proper eating and refueling, " Roettker said. "I have been communicating with Rebecca via email, and she sounds very excited about being a part of our team, which will number over 30 riders."
Riders who participate are presented with two challenges when promoting awareness for juvenile diabetes. Rebecca must raise the $4000 entry fee required to participate in the event while training to be able to ride over one hundred miles in single day.
"People are really generous when you give them the chance to be," said Heiss. "If I asked you to lend me a couple bucks you probably wouldn't think twice about asking me to pay you back. That's all I'm asking. A couple bucks from a lot of people."
