A Ride 4 Hope

After almost three years and several attempts, Maia is back in Tagaytay City. Photo by and property of author

Thomas Edison was right.

After several attempts, our riding team was finally able to summit Tagaytay City in the fourth edition of the Ride of Hope series last April 9. Dubbed "Ride4Hope: 2014 Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor) Ride," this epic bike trip aimed to raise funds to help the rehabilitation of communities still affected by supertyphoon Haiyan (Yolanda in local parlance).

Failure was not an option for this Ride, as we were aiming to raise at least Php6,000.00 to buy roofing materials. This would then be used to re-roof schools, health facilities, and day care centers in Aklan province that bore the full force of Haiyan's 200+ kph winds.

So, taking our cue from Mr. Edison, and with ample preparation and a lot of prayer, our team made the push for Tagaytay City on the morning of April 9 (which also marks the anniversary of the Fall of Bataan, hence the name of the holiday).

The Team making a planned "buko stop" along Paliparan Road to hydrate with fresh coconut drinks. From left: C-j, Miki, Jam, and Alvan. Alvan and Jam hold up four fingers to signify the fourth edition of the Ride. Photo property of author

Our group was composed of a contingent coming from Manila (C-j and Miki) and the Sucat team (composed of Alvan, Jam, and me). The team came together at SM Molino in Bacoor, Cavite, and started the upward trek towards Tagaytay under a warm summer sun.

We made good progress and made short work of the climb up Paliparan. Our last ride up this route left us quite tired this early in the ride, so it was a relief when we finally got past this point and faced the REAL uphill climb from the town of Silang. Thankfully Aguinaldo Highway was not that congested, which would have been a real problem.

The Ride4Hope route. Map courtesy of Google Maps and MapMyRide

Halfway up Silang, though, I started to feel the effects of age. It had been more than two years since my last climb, and my recent training had been concentrated too much on trail riding, instead of distance riding (I scolded myself inwardly for this lapse). So I was a bit concerned my legs were already aching and we still had some distance to cover.

To add more worry to our concern, Alvan's road bike blew its front tire. Thankfully they were able to patch it up with foil from a Plus juice pack and get it running soon enough. However, we could not shake off the worry that we might not get to summit this time around (again).

Repairing the front tire on Alvan's bike. Lesson learned: Juice in foil packs make good tire patches. Photo property of author

The young ones on the team were spunky enough to rest after long distances, but the uphill climb limited me to rest every two or three kilometers. Inwardly I was actually ready to give up, but then I had to remind myself why we were doing this Ride. I recalled the scenes I encountered in my trip to Tacloban last year, and it pushed me to get back on the bike and pedal some more.

Because reaching Tagaytay City calls for a selfie. Photo by and property of author

 After another grueling climb, I finally caught up to our other members and took some much-needed rest. We started encouraging each other as we had already gotten glimpse of the entrance marker at the City limits a few minutes back. We then got back onto our bikes and what do you know--the Tagaytay City Rotunda, our finish line, was just up ahead!

We cheered loudly and heartily as we reached the "summit," knowing that half our trip had gone well. For every member of the Team (except yours truly), it was the first successful climb up to Tagaytay. It is an achievement we will all cherish.

I took the liberty of doing a victory lap around the Rotunda, punching the air with my fist and pointing to the sky. I almost teared up. We still had to get home after this, but I thanked God in my heart. I prayed too, that this small success would be able to raise the funds needed to help the people of the Visayas, who were fighting more valiant battles than I was.

Thomas Edison was right about not giving up in the face of failure. And we can all thank God for that because we now experience brighter days. Had we given up at the climb up Silang, or had we turned around following Alvan's tire blowout, I'm not sure we could achieved the goal of this Ride.

To our kababayan in the Visayas, this Ride is for you. May our small triumph help you get back on your feet again soon.

Whooping it up at the "summit." Photo property of author

The 2014 Ride4Hope Team wishes to thank our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for helping us achieve this small victory. Every cyclist aims to summit something, and this would not have been possible if not for God's grace and provision.
The team also wishes to thank Joy Christian Fellowship for prayers and support; for Chai Yumul and Nina Candelario for giving us the opportunity to help our countrymen; to Kuya Jomel and Ate Leony Medina for the encouragement and concern; to Bisikleta Republika for parts and supplies; and to everyone unnamed in this post who made this epic Ride possible.
For pledges and support, please leave a comment or message the author on Facebook.