Not being technically savvy, I've had some problems with the blog. Fortunately my cycling buddy Fran has helped - Thank You!
So this Post is a rundown of what has happened in the last few months to get this Project going.
For a long time I had known about RAAM. But HIV+ people could not enter the USA like other people, so the possibility of me doing RAAM was remote. That changed on 4 January 2010, when the USA relaxed the visa requirements. A few weeks later, at a 200km ride in Victoria Aus, I saw a person wearing a RAAM jersey. I raced across and said "I want to earn one of those!". The person was Glenn Druery who confirmed the difficulty in doing RAAM - but that did not deter me.
The challenge was getting a team together. The criteria are numerous: good rider, endurance rider, HIV+, willing to disclose. I scoured the World. I left pamphlets in major HIV hospitals in Sydney and Melbourne. I joined various forums. All with little positive outcome. A guy in London was interested, and met all criteria but was unwilling to disclose his HIV status to the USA Dept of Home Security. The South African cycling bodies were unwilling to put a notice on their website "because HIV status is a sensitive issue in South Africa". But that's precisely why we're doing the Project - to reduce stigma and sensitivity!
Positive Pedalers in USA have been a great help. They put me in contact with Jim in New York, who responded within seconds of learning about the Project. I went to the USA in April/May, and joined the Jon Pon Ride north of San Francisco, and was able to make a short speech at dinner, whereafter Didier jumped aboard!
The pamphlets in the hospitals have had some response, including from a person in Sydney. Sadly, he decided to opt out of the Project, fearing the enormity of the challenge. I think he underestimates his capabilities.
I've no doubt that we will get a 4th Rider soon. Then for the crew!
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