MBA students organize 4,000-mile ride for cancer

The Penn Ride for Cancer, organized by two Wharton MBA students, will culminate in a 4,000-mile bike ride across the nation.

The goal of the effort is to increase awareness about cancer and raise $100,000 for the American Cancer Society.

The coast-to-coast ride is slated to take place over 70 days from May 22 to July 31, starting in Philadelphia and ending in San Francisco.

"My dad died of cancer," co-organizer Jon Schlegel said. "That's kind of my motivation." Schlegel's father passed away from melanoma at the age of 42. The father of Jerry Dischler, the other co-organizer, is currently battling a form of cancer.

"I've never ridden a bike more than 40 miles before. This summer, I intend to ride 4,000," Schlegel said. "We plan to cover about 60 to 65 miles per day, with rest days in between."

So far, only one person -- David Sylvester, who works at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania -- has committed to join them on their trek.

This is not Sylvester's first ride across the country, however. He made the journey in the summer of 2002 for a friend who died on Sept. 11.

"David is a 270-pound guy -- he's actually enormous," Schlegel said. "He said when he initially showed up to ride across the country [in 2002] ... they told him he was in the wrong room."

"This ride is a cool thing on a couple of levels," Sylvester said. "You're riding across the country, and it's a unique opportunity for people to see a lot in themselves and in the country. Plus, it benefits the Cancer Society, and my father passed away because of cancer."

"It robs you of your will to live, to see people go like that, to see them vibrant at one point and not even fighting to live at the end. It's very rough," he added. His father, a former Penn professor, died 10 years ago.

"I've been fat, I've been fit," Sylvester said. "It's not nearly as tough as you'd imagine it. I'm not the prototypical cyclist. I'm much bigger than your average cyclist."

"If you put your mind to it, you can go through with it," Sylvester said. "The hardest part is the first day. Once you're up on the second day, it gets easier."

According to Schlegel, the group plans to volunteer in different towns across the country. The organizers are welcoming volunteers to help with fundraising, finding sponsors and logistics.

They have one sponsor lined up -- the Adventure Cycling Association, which has agreed to donate several hundred dollars' worth of maps and which is also providing support in arranging the trip logistics.

The trip "is very attainable," Sylvester said. "I would suggest for people who are daunted -- do a portion. Literally ride home. It's something you will never forget, something you can point to and say, 'Look, I did this.'"

Sylvester has biked across the United States as well as the continent of Africa -- from Cairo, Egypt, to Cape Town, South Africa -- for the Tour d'Afrique.

"On the Africa trip, there was a gentleman with one leg, no prosthetic, and he beat us up mountains," Sylvester said.

As for the Penn Ride for Cancer, "It's not just 70 days we're talking about -- it's your whole damn life," Sylvester said. "You will never be the boring person at the party now."

"At least drop this guy an e-mail. At least have a look at [your] calendar to see if there's time," Sylvester said. "What are you doing this summer?"

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