Riding for a cause
O'Cain bicycles in Death Valley to raise funds for diabetes research
To most people, September, 2001 has obvious connotations.
But ask Woody O'Cain, director of admissions, about that infamous month and he recalls a different set of images. Not one of burning towers and black smoke billowing into a crisp blue New York sky, but of his then 7-year-old daughter, Ashley.
After celebrating her sister's birthday party at Furman, the normally energetic girl collapsed in the back seat of the family car on the ride home and fell asleep. Her skin was flushed. O'Cain and his wife Patty knew something wasn't right.
For weeks Ashley had been tired, eating constantly and was losing weight. The next morning, September 7, the O'Cains took Ashley to the doctor's office where they learned that she had type 1 diabetes.
“All I knew about diabetes was insulin shots and the tennis shoes you see hanging in some grocery stores,” says O'Cain. “That was it. We were clueless.”
But the O'Cains became experts real fast.
They learned that more than 120 million have diabetes. Those with type 1 diabetes have an immune system that destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Insulin, a hormone that helps the body use glucose (sugar) for energy, is the lifeblood for human organs. Without it, the body starves itself and dies. People with diabetes must inject insulin and closely monitor glucose levels in their blood.
Though the life expectancy for diabetics is about 15 years less than those without the disease, most diabetics can lead a relatively normal life with constant care. O'Cain says Ashley checks her blood about 11 times daily. She also uses an insulin pump to maintain her blood sugar and closely monitors her e diet.
When the O'Cains learned Ashley had diabetes, they were shocked. Then they felt helpless.
“We just wanted to do something,” says O'Cain.
The couple became active in support groups and joined the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, a national group that raises money for type 1 diabetes research. In 2002, the O'Cains formed “Ashley's Army,” a large group of church, Furman, and neighborhood friends that has raised more than $13,000 over the past two years by participating in the Walk to a Cure, an annual fundraiser in Greenville .
“There's currently no cure for this, so we figure the only thing we can do besides giving Ashley lots of love is to raise money for research so that hopefully a cure can be found,” says O'Cain.
Last month, O'Cain's fundraising took him to an unlikely location – Death Valley , California – where he and about 350 others participated in a grueling 82-mile road race in 107-degree heat that raised $1.5 million for diabetes research.
So, one would naturally assume that O'Cain was a seasoned cyclist, a fitness freak or at the very least a glutton for punishment.
Well, none of the above.
Before this summer, O'Cain had not pushed a bike pedal since middle school. An occasional jogger, he watches his diet, but like most exercisers, he stops before physical collapse. So, admittedly, he had no idea what he was getting into.
“I thought I could just go into a Wal-mart and buy a bike for $100,” laughs O'Cain. “But I learned different.”
He ended up spending considerably more than that for a used bike at Carolina Cycling and began training in June, logging about 30-50 miles a week. But no amount of training on the frontage roads between Greenville and Gray Court– and not even the Carolina summer humidity – could have prepared the 40-year old for the oppressive des s ert heat.
“I think I drank 16 bottles of water during the ride,” says O'Cain. “But it was a dry 107 degrees which can be very deceptive.”
O'Cain and the others began the road race at 6:30 a.m. Shortly after the halfway mark, heavy fatigue began to set in. At the 63-mile mark, he wanted to collapse by the sandy roadside and call for a medic.
“Were it not for the coaches who kept encouraging me, I would not have finished,” says O'cain. “I kind of drafted behind them for most of the final 20 miles. It was exhausting. And for the first time in my life, I was really concerned that my body was not prepared to do what I was asking it to do. But I met a lot of interesting people and plan to participate next year and take my family. Ashley, in fact, will get to ride part of the way with me.”
Days later, a bit sunburned and satisfied, O'Cain says he treasures the experience. But he – and a certain part of his anatomy -- regrets not training more.
“Ohhh, my backside was so sore afterwards,” he said. “I definitely didn't get enough saddle time before the race.”
Inside Furman is published monthly during the school year by the Furman University Department of Marketing and Public Relations. For story ideas, e-mail John Roberts, editor.
