48°
FAIRFIELD, Conn. Fairfield's Dianna Cutler believes her husband's life was saved because of a bike ride more than five years ago on Bronson Road near Greenfield Hill Congregational Church. The trek was once part of the Connecticut Challenge. The course has changed but not Cutler's outlook. "I am,'' she said, "gratified for that hill."
Cutler will ride in Saturday's Connecticut Challenge with her husband, Peter, and children, Garrett, 11, and Elizabeth, 9. Her husband will pedal on the 75- or 100-mile journey, and she will ride with her kids on a 10-mile loop.
Dianna and Peter pedaled up the hill on Bronson Road during a ride in 2006, and it changed their lives. She beat him up the hill and joked with him about it. Peter, however, wasn't laughing. He wasn't feeling well, and a short time later was diagnosed with colon cancer. "It was devastating,'' Dianna said.
Since that bike ride, Cutler has participated in the Connecticut Challenge, which benefits cancer survivorship programs. They have created Team Noble Cause, with friends and families participating. Their children are also part of the event. "We wanted to be part of it,'' Cutler said. 'It has been five years now, and Peter went through the whole process. Now we just want to pay it forward and make a difference in the lives of other cancer survivors."
Dianna has run in the Fairfield Half Marathon to benefit the Connecticut Challenge as well. She will miss riding on Bronson Road during the Challenge not the hill, but the emotion that comes with it.
"It gave me goose bumps every time, and a lot of perspective,'' Cutler said. "It always reminded me of how far we had come. It was like coming full circle, and giving back to survivors was part of the process. Every time up that hill, I smiled and cried at the same time."
Do you know of a family whose lives have been changed by cancer and will be riding in the Connecticut Challenge? Start the discussion below!
Click here to follow Daily Voice Fairfield and receive free news updates.
