Mike Aasheim is turning 50 in April,
and to mark the occasion, we would love nothing better than to give him the gift of
cycling again. Mike underwent major heart surgery in September 2016
and suffered a stroke in May 2017. He's worked incredibly hard in recovery
but has some lasting and impactful paralysis on his right side, and as a result
hasn't been able to ride again. He'd love to get an adaptive bike, but
the price has been prohibitive.
Over a few beers at RAGBRAI last
summer, an idea sparked among Mike’s Team Dirty Martini mates to raise some
funds on the sly for an adaptive bike for him. That idea has been
percolating since, and with his big birthday coming up in the spring, it feels
like the right time to make it happen.
While we sure hope that these wheels
will help Mike participate in some way in future RAGBRAIs, he still has a long
road ahead to rebuild his strength for 400 miles of Iowa. But we know for
sure this will bring him the joy of riding again, and we know you'll agree that no one deserves this more
than Mike.
Thank you so much for giving and
making this happen for one of the most wonderful human beings on earth. Be sure to send Mike some love and wish him a
happy 50th by uploading a video for our Vidday greeting here. And please don't share this on Facebook or other social media, and
DON'T TELL MIKE so we can keep it a surprise!
The plan is to present this to him at Christmas, so please keep it on
the DL until then.
Huge thanks and love from the Aasheim Family