Ride Ataxia Listed on Top 50 Walk/Bike/Run Events

Ride Ataxia was listed as one of the top 50 Walk/Bike/Run events by Travel Insights 100.  Check out the entire list here.

Travel Insights 100 is designed to be a forum where a diverse set of travel leaders can share their points of view. It is a platform for discussion, based on research, with thought leaders in travel & tourism around the world.

Amendment to the 2010 Ataxian Athlete Initiative

Please note that the following has been added to the Ataxian Athlete Initiative:

If you decide to purchase cycling equipment during the time you are filling out the application we will honor that purchase for use with the money you may receive from the grant.  However, there is no guarantee that you will receive the grant so be prepared to handle the cost if you are not chosen to receive funds.

2010 Ataxian Athlete Initiative

March 10, 2010- Part of the mission of Ride Ataxia is to "EMPOWER Ataxians by inspiring, motivating and providing opportunities to develop physical and mental strength." Through the 2010 Ataxian Athlete Initiative, Ride Ataxia will fund the purchase of adaptive cycling equipment for aspiring Ataxian Athletes so they may start their personal Ride Ataxia Adventure.


The Ataxian Athlete Initiative (AAI) is brought to you by Ride Ataxia, a FARA Program. The 2010 AAI is funded by a Quality of Life grant from the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation. The funding from the Reeve Foundation will allow the AAI to provide multiple awards in 2010.


AAI is administered through a grant application process. Individuals must have been diagnosed with some form of ataxia to qualify. The AAI is available to Ataxians worldwide. A complete application must be submitted by July 1, 2010 to be considered for an AAI grant award.


As part of the application individuals will select the most appropriate adaptive cycling equipment to suit their abilities and aspirations. In addition, applicants are asked to submit both general and financial information as well as an essay summarizing their experience with Ataxia and their fitness goals.


All applications will go through a formal review and selection process. The applications will be reviewed by a panel of Disabled Athletes, Ataxians, and other representatives of the ataxia community. To find out more and for application instructions go to: Ataxian Athlete Initiative 2010.

NorCal Jersey

Check out the jersey design for Ride Ataxia Nor Cal!  You will earn a free jersey if you register for the ride and raise $500 or more.  Teams of 10 that raise $4,000 or more will receive one free jersey per rider.  Once you register you will be given instructions for how to set up your personal fundraising page which you can customize with a picture and a personal message.  All fundraising dollars will be used for research to find a cure for Friedreich's ataxia!

Radio Blog

Hi everybody. I did a couple promotional gigs this week including a radio interview with a station here in Sacramento. The 20 minute clip will air this weekend but you can read a little bit here: Ride On

Front Page

Check out this article from the Grass Valley Union that made the front page this week: Crusade for a Cure

Ultra FARAthon!

Hey folks,

I came across this story the other day about a woman who is going to run a 7 day Ultra  Marathon in the desert to benefit FA.
Her name is Marilena Wilkinson and here are a couple pieces of her website:
"By participating in the Atacama Desert Ultra Marathon, I will be attempting to cover 250km across some of the most inhospitable terrain in 7 days. A-marathon-a-day is an obvious comparison; but it is much more than that. It has been described as one of the toughest, most gruelling ultra-distance events in the world.
Extremes in temperature, climbs to heights in excess of 10,000ft, and long stretches of energy sapping salt-flats might just give you an idea of what I am committing myself to do. 

The main thing, though, is that I am doing it for a wonderful and most worthy cause, which I do hope you will support. Friedreich's Ataxia (FA) is a cruel disease of which there is no known cure. It is a debilitating, life-shortening, degenerative, neuro-muscular disorder. 

I have watched its cruel and relentless progress affect the health of the daughter of my very good friends in Hong Kong, Angelo and Monica Pepe.  Angelo worked tirelessly raising funds for research into the disease, and spent lots of his own money too. Sadly, Angelo succumbed to cancer at the end of 2008, and, before he died, I promised myself that I would try and help towards his work, and raise money for research in the hope that a cure can be found. 

The charities for which I will be raising money are Ataxia UK and  Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA).  FARA is a non-profit, tax-exempt organisation dedicated to curing FA through research, pharmaceutical/biotech drug development, clinical trials and scientific conferences."

View marilena's website HERE.