How it all started for Austin

Hi, It's Austin's mom. Austin is back from Costa Rica and is canvassing the neighborhood for donations to the Courage Classic. It's so great to see him feeling good. Three years ago around this time, he wasn't doing well at all. I thought I should share how his journey with cancer began.

Austin has always had a ferocious appetite for physical activity. He loves competition, and continually challenges himself to excel; just a little bit faster, higher or longer. Two days before he was diagnosed with a brain tumor, he was mountain biking up a 12,000 foot mountain with family and screaming back down the single-track trail. He had a terrible headache which got worse with each gain in altitude and was wearing reflective glasses to combat double vision. Was it wise to let him attempt such a feat? No, but try stopping him.

Monday morning, August 22, 2005 was the first day of seventh grade at Summit Middle School. He had been in school for two hours when we received the call from Dr. Foreman that previous tests results were in and we should rush in to Children’s Hospital for an MRI. Austin’s blood test had come back abnormal. That afternoon, Austin and I sat in Dr. Foreman’s office and heard those terrible words that you never, ever consider. Your child has cancer; an aggressive-growth brain tumor almost the size of a golf ball. The look of compassion and sympathy on Dr. Foreman’s face was of comfort; but his command of the situation and an immediate, precise plan was what really gave us hope. You have to have a plan to grasp your arms around. We discovered recently that Austin always had complete confidence in his team of doctors and never considered anything dire.

The next day Austin had a med port installed and the day after was the first of six rounds of Chemo. We were pretty nervous going in but when we arrived, there was a nurse/EMT named Mike that was going from room to room with taped up syringes in the form of an ‘oozy’ and taking squirts at the kids who were laughing and dodging. This guy was cool and suddenly things didn’t seem so scary anymore. Austin joined in and eventually bribed the nurse into giving him his hand-made weapon. Day one done. It was going to get rough for quite a while.

I'm going to Costa Rica!

So tomorrow I'm flying to Costa Rica with my older brother Forrest and his soccer team. I'm a guest player on his team and we'll be facing five Costa Rican teams of 17 year old guys. I'm really excited to be going there. I love to travel and I love soccer. I'll be playing goalie this time even though I'm more used to being a forward.

I'm so happy to be playing soccer again. Three years ago, I remember playing my last game of the season with an eye patch on because I had double vision. Instead of one ball and one opponant, there were two. I didn't care, I just wanted to play. Right after that, I had an MRI and found out that I had a tumor in my brain that had grown and was blocking something called a ventrical which is like a big drain in your head for fluid. The fluid in my brain was backed up and the pressure was causing migraines and that double vision. I had a couple of brain surgeries and had a shunt installed in my brain to help keep that drain open. I gave up soccer after that because I couldn't do 'headers' anymore or I might break that shunt. I wasn't happy about giving it up, but I filled up my time with competitive basketball, tennis and swimming.

So being goalie for my brother's team this summer is perfect. I get to play soccer again AND I get to use my hands instead of my head! I'm going to miss two weeks of training rides, but my dad is going to lead the team. Let me know if you want to ride with us.

Why I Ride

Hi, this is Austin's dad. I ride because of the fact that my son is healthy and strong. He's a bright, sociable and capable person who wouldn't be here without the incredible staff at Children's.

In my opinion cancer is still too much guess work. We truly felt that our opinions and concerns were part of the treatment which is a good thing and a scary thing all at the same time. The chemo treatment was almost without question the way to go and Dr Foreman knew exactly what he wanted to accomplish. The radiation was a little more tricky as the combination of chemo and radiation is tricky and the side effects can be severe. I ride to ensure that future generations don't have to guess, they don't have weigh the options, they just know based on great research.

Please help us in helping raise money for this fantastic organization that gives back lives.

Why I'm Riding

So, why do I ride the Courage Classic? I’m riding the Courage Classic because I want to help other kids who are struggling with their health at The Children’s Hospital. I want to give back to the people who saved my life. I’m riding the CC because of the fun social atmosphere. After the ride you run around and find all your friends and you sit at a table in the sun eating burgers and exchanging stories of your epic day. I’ve meet a lot of people that I didn’t even know before. Everyone is so friendly. I enjoy hearing their stories too. What was really cool last year I was lucky enough to be on a couple of news shows and in the local paper about my ride in the Courage Classic. Then, during the ride over 10 people came up to me to encourage me because they recognized me from my stories. It made me want to do even more this year. Last year I raised over $5,000 for the hospital. This year our team goal is $25,000.

Today, I feel good. Today I have a cycling team of 16 people who are riding in the Courage Classic. Our name is Wheels of Fortune. Starting two weeks ago, we held training rides sponsored by Mad Greens. We ride and then we all meet afterward and eat. I like to eat! The training ride feels like a mini Courage Classic because of how social it is. I really like the social part of it, but training is important because no matter how cool your bike is, you can’t ride over 150 miles easily. You gotta train! Last year I did maybe one and a half training rides and that was not enough. I rode most of the ride but on those big hills like Vail Pass my dad had to push me up the hills.

On Sunday, our team is riding in the Boulder foothills. If you’re interested in joining me, my mom will send out a link.

The Children's Hospital Courage Classic blog launch

This blog will mostly be hosted by Austin Peterman, the 2008 Courage Classic Ambassador. In its 19th year, The Children's Hospital Courage Classic raises money to fund life-saving and life-enhancing care for the children of the Rocky Mountain region. Donate today.

Austin was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2005 and after receiving treatment at The Children's Hospital, has been cancer free for more than two years. We asked Austin and his family to share his story with you. He and his family will ride 157 miles again during this year's Courage Classic which treks through Copper Mountain and Leadville, July 26-28.