"Bicycling For Ovarian Cancer" Around Perimeter Of United States Begins Today

Main Category: Ovarian Cancer
Also Included In: Cancer / Oncology;  Sports Medicine / Fitness
Article Date: 19 May 2009 - 6:00 PDT

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A 9,000-mile trek in 100 hundred days around the perimeter of United States to raise money to cure ovarian cancer begins today. The cyclist, Craig Broeder, Ph.D., is an exercise physiologist and Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) who is dedicating his ride to help fund research and build awareness about ovarian cancer.

Broeder, 54, began his cycling journey today, starting at Lance Armstrong's bike shop, "Mellow Johnny's," in Austin, Texas. His three-month trip, projected to end back in Austin on Aug. 25, will take him through some of the nation's largest metropolitan areas, including New York City and Los Angeles.

He has been training for the bike ride for the last two years, and will be honoring his wife's 20-year ovarian cancer survival anniversary with the fund-raising trip. Kay Broeder will follow her husband during the entire ride in a vehicle donated by Toyota of North America (Naperville, Chicago).

"Although my wife inspired me to train for and complete this ride, it's really a way to honor all women who have suffered from ovarian cancer," Broeder said. "I hope I can not only be an inspiration to others, but also bring a high level of awareness to the disease."

Broeder hopes to raise $1 million for funding and research for ovarian cancer. All proceeds from his ride will be donated to the ACSM Foundation, in order to support scientific research in the field. Broeder is a 22-year member of ACSM.

Also sponsoring Broeder's journey is Exercise is Medicine™, an ACSM program dedicated to make physical activity a standard part of health care. Exercise has powerful preventive and curative effects on chronic disease and conditions, and has been shown to lower risk of ovarian cancer by contributing to regulation of estrogen and hormones.

To view Broeder's ride schedule and read more about his training, visit http://www.bicyclingforovariancancer.org. Broeder is director of the clinical exercise physiology program at Benedictine University in Naperville, Ill.

The American College of Sports Medicine is the largest sports medicine and exercise science organization in the world. More than 35,000 international, national, and regional members and certified professionals are dedicated to advancing and integrating scientific research to provide educational and practical applications of exercise science and sports medicine.

Source
American College of Sports Medicine

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