John Terwilliger: Taking the Connecticut Challenge

August 21, 2008

If you wonder whether any good will come from the energy crisis, look no further than John Terwilliger. The Guilford 10-year-old put his bountiful energy to good use on his bicycle, helping cancer survivors with pedal power.

“We joked with our kids that, with gas prices being so high, we weren’t going to drive them everywhere this summer,” says John’s mom, Maureen. “We bought them new bikes so they could do some of it themselves.”

John took his new bike and set a personal challenge: to bike 100 miles a week and 1,000 miles for the summer. But the miles, by themselves, weren’t enough for him.

“He was looking for a fundraiser he could do and we found the Connecticut Challenge: Cycling for Cancer Survivors,” says Maureen.

It was a perfect fit for the ambitious fifth-grader at Baldwin Middle School. The Connecticut Challenge is a non-profit organization that funds investigation into the effects of cancer and cancer treatments on survivors and provides resources to empower cancer survivors to lead healthier, happier and longer lives.

Founded in 2005, the organization funds Connecticut’s two cancer survivorship clinics: the Connecticut Challenge Adult Survivorship Clinic and the HERO’S Clinic for survivors of childhood cancers, both at Yale Cancer Center. The Challenge ride, the group’s premier fundraiser, offers rides of 12, 25, 50, and 100 miles each summer.

“When we found the website, I suggested to John that he do the 25-mile race,” says Maureen, “but he said that he was already doing that much and wanted to do more so we entered him into the 50-mile ride.”

John was less than 14 years old, so Maureen, a marathon runner, rode with him. They hit the Guilford streets to train for the event, held in Fairfield on July 26, and when they arrived on race day, it was the first time they had even see the course. They took their places in the back of the pack, watched cancer survivors release balloons to mark the start of the journey, and then they were rolling.

“It was an extremely hilly course,” says Maureen, who marvels at her son’s accomplishment. “When he got to the 50-mile mark, John asked where the finish line was. That’s when we realized that the race was actually 52.6 miles long.”

For his part, John seems most surprised by the number of people who have contributed to his fundraising request. He’s collected more than $700 and donations will be accepted until Sept. 26.

The organizers of the Connecticut Challenge took note of John’s accomplishment, too. When he reached the 30-mile checkpoint, the staff thought he was part of the 25-mile ride. When they realized he was a 50-miler—and that he was the youngest cyclist ever to do the longer race—they awarded him an official Connecticut Challenge jersey, which John proudly wears on his daily bike route around town. He’s up to 780 miles and no doubt will reach his 1,000-mile goal soon.

John’s attention is about to turn to his studies at Baldwin School, as well as his other interests, which include tennis, baseball, skateboarding and karate (he already has his Brown Belt). No doubt remembering the tough hills he had to climb, he pauses when asked if he’ll do the Connecticut Challenge again.

“The challenge lived up to its name,” says John. “Some of the hills were really tough, but thinking of people who have to fight cancer every day got me through it.”

To contribute to John’s fundraising effort for cancer survivors, visit his web site at www.2008ctchallenge.kintera.org/johnt10. Donations will be accepted up to September 26. For more information about the Connecticut Challenge, visit www.ctchallenge.org.