Sidney -
David Robinson looks like your typical high school graduate planning his summer vacation. "I kind of sat around the house, you know, summer's coming. I graduated from high school, going to college, doing National Guard," said Robinson at his parent's Sidney home.
But the 2012 graduate of Messalonskee High School is anything but typical and neither is the way he's decided to spend his summer before heading off to college. "You know, I want to do something big with my life," he explains. "You know I bike all the time, I run all the time, let's bike to New York."
Although he says it like he's biking a few miles to the store, David is riding his bike, which he spray painted pink, all the way to New York City to raise money for breast cancer research.
It's a disease that hits close to home for the Robinson family. David's grandmother, Sylvia Lyon, just finished a bout with breast cancer, and is now cancer free. "Well, we're proud of him, but a little apprehensive because he's doing this by himself," she said.
To get his body ready for the big trip, David is on a training regimen that would make a triathlete proud. He's running 60-80 miles and biking up to 200 miles a week. "But lately I've kind of been taking it easy," he said. "I don't want to hurt myself. I've got a 430 mile trip ahead of me."
A trip that some are doubting he'll finish. "I would say about 25% of my friends said you can't do this, the other 50% said I won't be out of the state." But David knows that sometimes it's the naysayers that can be the greatest source of motivation. "I think the fact that they're telling me I can't do this is just pushing me more to do it."
It's a journey that David hopes will have the sun on his face, and his grandmother in his heart. "This isn't about me, it's about the people I'm helping."
David plans on leaving for New York Thursday. He's hoping to raise $1,000 but he needs your help.
You can donate on his Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#!/groundzerocancer
You can also donate at the Susan G. Komen website:
http://maine.info-komen.org/site/TR/Events/BAN_MaineAffiliate?pxfid=206765&fr_id=1874&pg=fund
Add your Comments