Texas Southmost College employees Jose Arambul and Addie Scoggin rode their bikes for 250 miles in two days in the blistering South Texas heat. The ride was for a good cause, and both crossed the finish line accomplished.
Jose Arambul serves as Executive Director of High School Programs and Services for TSC.
Outside of his work with the college, Arambul is a fitness man and noted challenge accepter competing in triathlons and rides around the Valley.
The ride from the RGV to San Antonio is 250 miles, split over two days. Arambul has completed the ride three times.
“Every year crossing the finish line is emotional and I cry,” Arambul said. “It is not an easy ride but when you see the kids at the end handing out medals or those who can ride customized bikes crossing the finish line, you realize why you did what you did. All the pain and suffering that we go through to get there is nothing compared to what they have to live daily. “
Scoggin was a first-time rider and toughed out the intense heat to complete the ride.
“Hands down, this was the hardest cycling event of my life,” She admitted. “I made sure to drink a full bottle of electrolytes and pop and energy gel every hour to make it through the 100+ degree temperatures. To my surprise, my body didn’t disappoint. It felt like a machine on day one, blasting through the heat for over 140 miles, but I owe that to several months of training.”
Day two got tougher for Scoggin, the first-timer…but the completion more than made up for the pain.
“Day two was a different story,” she said. “I developed severe saddle soreness, and I might as well been riding a cheese grater. When I caught a glimpse of the finish line in downtown San Antonio, I started crying. I did not anticipate that emotional release, but the crowds of children who were benefiting from the funds raised were just too much for me to handle. I feel like a changed person after witnessing that.”
The ride is organized by Casey Swanson in support of his daughter Suzannah, a McAllen-area woman who compete in wheelchair racing as a teenager with Spina Bifida. The two-day ride supports the Suzannah Smiles non-profit corporation.
https://www.suzannahsmiles.org/