I need to preface this by saying that I have always loved teaching and, with some trepidation or perhaps outright fear, public speaking, having come to realize that the combination of the two provides me with the greatest opportunity to positively impact people’s lives. In order to remain grounded in reality and keep my ego in check I remind myself of the quote “those that can’t do, teach.”
Cycling calls me. While I consider myself somewhat of a misfit in today’s world, I never feel that way while riding my bike, whether alone or with a group. I am a “competitive” cyclist but only with myself in that I am continually trying to learn more and increase my capabilities. I don’t fret if by chance I find myself off the back of a group ride (unless of course I am leading the ride in which case everyone is in trouble!).
Cycling provides me with peace of mind and a way to escape from what seems to me to be an extremely noisy world. When I ride – alone or in a group - I am able to “be here now”. its me, my bike, the road, the elements, my breathing rhythm connected to my effort and the riders around me.
Cycling provides me with the ability to make a positive difference in people’s lives. I began riding because I wanted to improve as in indoor cycling teacher. Through sheer good fortune and completely unearned I was asked to be a member of the GFNY Training Team - GS-GFNY - in 2011 and other than marrying Melanie I cannot think of a more positive, life-changing, life-affirming event. Being on the team offers me the opportunity and provides me a platform to encourage people to be their best possible self. Quite often, it is a outcome I learn about much later than it actually happens (for example, I was tagged in a video by Armand where he was so excited to be riding up Bear in the big ring, something I typically encourage people to try).
I met my wife through cycling, and just about all of my relationships with the exception of my immediate family were developed or began because of my involvement in cycling. (Our wedding cake was in the shape of a bike – just so you know what level of Saint my wife really is!)
Cycling allows me to be part of a community of phenomenal people and encourages me to see what is good in life – people coming together to share positive experiences. While I love DeRosa because of the family they are and I feel very fortunate to be riding one of their bikes built with Campagnolo, it really doesn’t matter to me what kind of bike you ride or how much you spent on your wheels. My goal is to help you be the best possible cyclist you can be and in so doing you will also come to know the best version of your self.
Of course cycling allows me to remain mentally and physically healthy. There is not a doubt in my mind that had it not been for my involvement in cycling and specifically GFNY I would not be alive today. The treatment that I required to rid my body of the cancer that attacked it in early 2017 was extremely harsh, as were the mental and emotional after effects that took several years to finally leave. I was very healthy prior to the surgery and treatment and was therefore able to withstand a harsher treatment than was originally planned. Being a cyclist provided me with mental and emotional strength and most important, my wife and I had the support of the collective consciousness of our cycling community. Imagine going to your computer one day the week after completing your 12th cycle of chemo and seeing an FB live from Uli announcing that he and Lidia (the husband and wife team that developed GFNY) had created 5,000 armbands saying “GFNY4Vito” for everyone to wear during GFNY 2017. (I could keep telling stories similar to this about my students, friends old and new, family – but there are too many for this post).
Thank you for reading, I look forward to riding with you!
Vito
