Help Daniel ride in Tour de L'abitibi

When I was 10 years old I was pulled out of my home because of abuse and neglect. From there, I continuously jumped from group home to foster home. For the next four years I tried to find direction in my life. But from everyone making decisions for me and a group of negative peers, I was beginning to spiral into something bad. Luckily I was always interested in BMX, which I was never really good at, but I finally decided to get a bike and try. This is when I met the man Ignacio who would become one of the most important people in my life. When he approached me more than 4 years ago asking if I wanted to ride on his team, I thought it was the coolest thing ever and immediately said yes. When I started I was nothing special; I had hardly done any exercise in my life. But for some reason through all the physical pain I kept with it. Only later did I realize exactly why I did. It was because up to that point in my life I had never felt freedom. I had never felt that I was in control of my life.


And that’s what’s amazing about bikes. Everything you do and everything you put in is exactly what you get out of it. Every decision you make while riding is solely up to you, and it only hurts or benefits you. And now looking back at these past four years of riding for El Grupo, I am astonished of where I have come. Going from getting last place in every race, to now being selected to represent the USA in a Nations Cup race called Tour de L’Abitibi. None of this would have happened if the Tucson community wasn’t so amazing and generous, and that includes Ignacio and Daniela for starting this cycling team for exactly kids like me. But for this once in a lifetime opportunity to come true I will need your help. Any contribution will help and will be greatly appreciated.


El Grupo Youth Cycling