I fondly remember getting my first bicycle, a Huffy from K-Mart when I was 6.  I recall being so proud walking my brand new blue ride through the parking lot to my parent’s car only to notice, to my horror, it had a flat tire.  Not the best start to what would be a 30-year obsession with cycling.  Against my parent’s wishes, I refused to learn how to ride with training wheels and inevitably crashed the first time my dad let go of me as I headed down the driveway.  Not deterred, I brushed myself off and after a few wobbles and some tentative pedaling; I was riding on my second attempt.  I remember the rush from the freedom of moving under my own power and the confidence I felt knowing that I had learned something that all of my friends were already having a blast doing.

Cycling has continued to be a passion of mine since that first ride and I feel fortunate that LEVEL encourages its employees to maintain an appropriate work/life balance.  Additionally, LEVEL is continuingly looking for opportunities to become involved in and support charitable events.  So, it came as no surprise when one of our projects, SanLuisObispoVacations.com, began promoting the SLO Gran Fondo that LEVEL employees who shared an interest in cycling as well as an enthusiasm to help the local community came together to form our own team for the event.  For those unfamiliar with a Gran Fondo, it is a long distance, mass participation cycling event that combines professionals, amateur, and recreating cyclist of all abilities.  The SLO Gran Fondo has distances of 25, 45, and 100 miles and the LEVEL team will have members participating in each distance.  What makes the SLO Gran Fondo especially exciting is the professional cyclists that will be participating are members of Team HTC-Columbia, the world’s premier and top ranked professional cycling team based in San Luis Obispo and currently participating in the Tour de France.

Like many things in life, cycling requires dedication and the ability to overcome obstacles that are both physical as well as mental.  Our LEVEL Gran Fondo team will be on their bikes anywhere between 2 to 6 hours, fighting the wind, climbing hills and battling through the mental aspect of keeping a positive attitude. Over the next few months, I look forward to providing each of them insights, support, and inspiration to achieve their goal and come across the finish line with a sense of accomplishment and more importantly with a smile on their face.