Congratulations to Team PH!

PHA would like to congratulate Team PHenomenal Hope for finishing the Race Across America in just 7 days, 7 hours, 15 minutes -- a day earlier than expected! We thank you for your tireless efforts over the past two years to train and raise awareness and funds for our collective fight for a cure.

A big thank you also goes out to the PH community, who rallied around Team PH through unity events and raising more than $45,000 to fill up the unity map.

You can read about their cross country journey on our tracking page.

Team PH Crosses Finish Line a Day Earlier Than Expected!

Team PHenomenal Hope crossed the finish line on their 3,000 mile Race Across America last night a good day earlier than expected. PH community members gathered at the finish line in Annapolis, Md., and via Skype from PHA's Conference in Indianapolis, Ind., to cheer them on and congratulate them on such an amazing feat. You women are truly amazing!

Competition with German Team Pushing Team PH

From Team PHenomenal Hope's Facebook page:

A photo of the team with the German Frauleins the afternoon prior to race start. The strategy going into planning for the race was for Team PH to ride their race at a particular pace and finish safely. The vastness of the country, fatigue, logistics were all obstacles enough.

Early on in the race, it was apparent that Team PH was pretty closely matched with the German women. The regular lead changes between the racers and the overlapping transition points for crew made them a topic of conversation, bordering on distraction.

Little things have added to the unexpected drama, and there's always the question of pride. When Anne-Marie passed the German racer on the ascent of the highest peak of the entire 3000 mile course and Patty came zipping down the descent at 30 miles an hour to protect the lead, the team was anything but neutral. Stacie and Ryanne battled the cold and feirce gusts overnight with the Frauleins essentially at a dead heat. Early this morning, AM and Patty opened a gap of a few miles coming into transition in Trinidad, Colorado, once again lifting everyone's spirits. As Colorado leveled out this morning, Stacie added a few more miles to the lead.

We're not even at the half way point yet. Ohio and Pennsylvania and West Virginia are familiar cycling territory for our women. Kate is trying to keep everyone level headed but she's got her work cut out for her. This is, after all, a race across America with four strong, very competitive American women. Should be an interesting finish.

Follow Team PH more closely here

Team PH in the Local San Diego News!

Team PHenomenal Hope was one of four teams featured at a press conference about the Race Across America, and it got picked up on the local CBS station. Watch it below.

San Diego, California News Station - KFMB Channel 8 - cbs8.com

The Race Unity Map is Sold Out!

We reached 3,000 miles and then some!

The PH community has rallied around Team PHenomenal Hope through this Race of Our Lives campaign for the past two years. More than 70 unity events were organized in 30 states across the country, individuals created virtual fundraising pages around their personal cycling or walking goals, and everyone united on April 12 to walk 1 mile from wherever they were.

Our goal was to raise $15 for each of the 3,000 miles across the country to fill the virtual unity map. We more than met that goal by raising $45,900 so far, in addition to the funds raised by the team and sponsors. We are still encouraging donations online or via mobile phone by texting TeamPH to 56512 to get a mobile-friendly browser.

Thank you to each and every one of you for your part in making this campaign the success it is.

Track Team PHenomenal Hope's Progress

Members of Team PHenomenal Hope were there for the launch of the solo racers on the Race Across America (pictured right). We will be sending off Team PHenomenal Hope on the race this Saturday in Oceanside, Calif. We encourage you to join us if you are in the area. From there you can follow the team's progress on our tracking page.

If you haven't already, we encourage you to send them your well wishes and thank yous. You can post a message to their Facebook page, tweet to @TeamPHenomHope or comment on their blog. You and your family and friends can also show your support by making a donation online or text TeamPH to 56512 to get a mobile friendly browser.

Team PHenomenal Hope RV'ing to Start Line

The RV is packed and Team PHenomenal Hope is on their way across the country to the Race Across America start line where they kick off the race this Saturday! The team's two years of training is finally coming to a head. We are almost there!

The team will be embarking on the most difficult cycling race in the world, all in support of the PH community and the fight for a cure. They are excited, but also anxious because they want to make a good showing for the community. Let's lift their spirits by sending them our well wishes and thank yous. You can post a message to their Facebook page, tweet to @TeamPHenomHope or comment on their blog.

You and your family and friends can also show your support by making a donation online or text TeamPH to 56512 to get a mobile friendly browser.

Let's Send the Team Our Well Wishes!

The Race Across America is next week! Team PHenomenal Hope has been training intensely for two years, and next Saturday they will embark on the most difficult cycling race in the world. They are doing all this to support you, the PH community.

Let's send them our well wishes and thanks so they know how much we appreciate them and this difficult endeavor they have undertaken. Let's flood their channels with our thank yous! Post a message to their Facebook page, tweet to @TeamPHenomHope or comment on their blog.

We also now have text-to-donate. Simply text TeamPH to 56512, and you will get a mobile phone-friendly browser that allows you to donate to the team!

Home Away From Home

They got the RV! Take a look at the RV that will be riding along next to the cyclists on their cross country trek. This is also where the cyclists will rest and sleep when they aren't riding. It's getting real!

Read the blog post

This Race is Personal

"If what we do helps fund research to find a cure, then maybe – just maybe – riding our bikes is no longer just about riding our bikes. But then again, on Team PH it never was."

Read Team PHenomenal Hope's latest blog

Only 60 Miles Left! Help Us Reach the Finish Line!

Team PHenomenal Hope is going through the most difficult part of their endurance training for their cycling race across the United States in honor of the PH community. Please help us fill up the last 60 miles on the unity map!

Tell all your friends and family about Team PHenomenal Hope and ask them to support a mile on the map. Every $15 makes you the sponsor of one mile. We want to make it all the way across the country in solidarity with the team before the race begins June 14. Help us reach 3,000 miles before they start on their 9 day, 3,000 mile trek.

Miles can be sponsored here

Training Ride in the Mountains

a.k.a. From Sheetz to Shining Sheetz

"Mountains. We all climb mountains. Most of us figuratively in our daily lives, and on the bike we get to relish the opportunity to climb them quite literally. There is nothing like seeing a peak ahead of you (or not seeing it) and going up up up."

Read Dr. Patty George's latest blog story

You're Invited! Team PHenomenal Hope Send Off Rally June 14

Please join us on Saturday, June 14 at 11 a.m. to help send off Team PHenomenal Hope as they begin their Race Across America. The Race course will put the team through an intense non-stop physical challenge across 9 days, 3,000 miles and 170,000 vertical feet of elevation.

Come support riders Dr. Patricia George, Anne-Marie Alderson, Ryanne Palermo, Stacie Truszkowski and their crew members as the team embarks on this grueling race to honor PHers everywhere.

Team PHenomenal Hope Send Off Rally
Saturday, June 14, 11 a.m.
Oceanside Pier Amphitheater
The Strand North at Mission Avenue
Oceanside, CA 92054

RSVP online

The physical challenges of the race mirror the life experiences of PH patients and families as they cope with the impact of PH in their lives. Team PHenomenal Hope will be competing in honor of the PH community’s daily struggle. They have been raising awareness and funds to support PHA and research to find a cure as they have been training for the past two years, and will be raising awareness in media markets along the race route. Learn more about how you can support the Race of Our Lives

We look forward to seeing you on June 14.

Ryanne Palermo and Husband Take 3rd in Brady's Run

Ryanne Palermo and her husband Jeremy teamed up to race the mountain bike trails at Brady's Run this weekend and came in 3rd! Congratulations Ryanne and Jeremy! From the team: "Rain + mud + bikes = smiles"

before

after

May is National Bike Month

National Bike Month is a chance to showcase the many benefits of bicycling and to encourage more people to give biking a try. With Race Across America almost a month away, National Bike Month is a perfect way to show your support for Team PHenomenal Hope. Help save the environment, encourage healthy habits, save money or follow in the footsteps of the members of Team PHenomenal Hope. If your health allows, choose bicycling rather than driving and encourage your friends to do the same.

For tips on exercising while living with PH, check out beneficial exercises online.

Team PHenomenal Hope Conquered the Calvin's Challenge Relay

Team PHenomenal Hope participated in the 12-hr Calvin's Challenge relay in Springfield, Ohio, this weekend as part of their training. They shared a photo on Facebook: "Valuable experience, and after fighting the winds, we are beat. Thanks everyone for your support!"

Meet Team PHenomenal Hope's Pit Crew

How do you get across the United States safely in under 9 days? The answer is with a dedicated and talented team. And Team PHenomenal Hope’s crew is ready and up for this challenge.

Meet the crew

Talk with Dr. Patty George this Wednesday

Join Team PHenomenal Hope team captain, Dr. Patty George, in a virtual Facebook Q&A this coming Wednesday, April 30. The conversation will begin at 11 a.m. ET, and all participants are invited to ask Patty questions about her work as a medical professional and her involvement in Race Across America this summer.

In addition to sharing her excitement about the upcoming bike race and the grueling training involved in preparing for it, Patty will discuss the critical role she plays in taking care of patients before and after lung transplantation. She will also answer questions about her research into PH.

Patty is an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and pulmonologist in the Comprehensive Pulmonary Hypertension Program at UPMC. Every Wednesday, UPMC hosts “Open Wall Wednesday” – an opportunity to speak virtually with a medical expert.

For an opportunity to speak with Dr. Patty George this Wednesday, join the conversation on the “Open Wall Wednesday” Facebook page.

PHenomenal Mile at a Glance: PH Community Rallies Behind Team PH

Take a look at some great snapshots from PHenomenal Mile meet-ups around the country on April 12. These are just a few examples of the strong support that follows Team PHenomenal Hope (Team PH) as they prepare to cycle across the United States this June.

Do you have photos from your PHenomenal Mile event? Send those photos with photo descriptions to RaceOfOurLives@PHAssociation.org.

PHers sport Race of Our Lives T-shirts
and walk for Team PH in Elmhurst, Ill.

Participants get active for the cause in Temecula, Calif.

Walkers gather at a track in Sumner, Wash.,
to show their support for Team PH.

Thank You to All Our Amazing PHenomenal Mile Participants!

PHA extends a huge thank you to everyone who participated in the PHenomenal Mile on Saturday, April 12. More than 70 groups across 30 states and Puerto Rico took part in this national day of action in support of Team PHenomenal Hope, and together, we are making a difference.

Team PH can feel your support, and they are grateful for each and every participant who came out last Saturday to support the cause. Head on over to their blog to read their note of thanks and see what’s next for them in this journey.

Do you have photos from your PHenomenal Mile? We want to see them! Send your photos (with photo descriptions) to RaceOfOurLives@PHAssociation.org. One of your photos could be featured on this blog or in a future issue of Pathlight.

Thanks again for walking with us on April 12!

The PHenomenal Mile is Tomorrow!

The PHenomenal Mile is tomorrow – April 12 – and we hope you are just as excited as we are.

We have more than 70 groups registered to walk with us across 30 states and Puerto Rico to support Team PHenomenal  Hope. Those numbers are impressive! But if you haven’t registered yet – there is still time to join us. The more, the merrier!

So, lace up your shoes and be a part of this nationwide day of action.

Walking With Us? Tell Us About It!

• Send PHA photos of you walking
  We want to see you in action! Have fun, take photos and share with us. Your photo could be featured in a future issue of Pathlight. Send photos from your walk to RaceOfOurLives@PHAssociation.org.
• Brag about your participation on social media
  Use your social networks (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) to tell the world about your participation in The PHenomenal Mile. Be sure to include the PHenomenal Mile hashtag (#PHenomenalMile) when posting and you can follow others in the community who are also participating.

Team PHenomenal Hope Gets Spotlight in the Media

In just two short months, Team PHenomenal Hope will be taking on Race Across America to bring awareness to pulmonary hypertension and raise funds for research. Recently UltraRaceNews.com published a thoughtful article introducing Team PHenomenal Hope and explaining how their journey across the United States came to be. Read the article

Show your support for Team PHenomenal Hope. Leave the team an inspiring message in the comment section on this blog, PHA Daily Beat or the team’s Facebook page.

Check Out Our Race of Our Lives Contest: Enter to Win an UP Wristband

Who: YOU!

What: Win an UP!

When: TODAY until April 19

How? Here are the details:

Support the members of Team PHenomenal Hope on their incredible journey and work toward your own personal fitness goals by entering the Race of Our Lives UP Contest. Sponsor a mile on the Race of Our Lives map from April 5-19, and you will be entered into a raffle to win an UP wristband from Jawbone. The UP wristband is an activity tracker that can help you achieve your personal fitness goals.

Every mile sponsored between now and April 19 will earn you one entry into the raffle. The more miles you sponsor, the more entries you receive! Sponsor a mile today

PH Community Members Join the Race Campaign Online

The PHenomenal Mile on April 12 is right around the corner! Many of our community members have started virtual fundraising pages to celebrate and share their commitment to walk on April 12. Equally as exciting, others have set up virtual fundraising pages to support the Race of Our Lives campaign as a whole! 

We thank our new supporters of the Race of Our Lives campaign and continue to thank all those who continually support the effort.

Below are the newest additions of virtual fundraising pages from the community: 

PHenomenal Mile Virtual Fundraising Pages

• Alyssa Jackson's Walk For The Cure Page
• Raeana Rader’s PHighting Together for the Race of Our Lives Page
• Kristine Green’s LiPHe in the Grand Valley Page
• Bonnie Patricelli’s Page
• Tiffany Gunderman’s Long Beach Support Group Page
• Lauren Boyton’s PHighting to Stay PHenomenal Page  

Race of Our Lives Virtual Fundraising Pages

• Stacey Gausling’s Page – The PHenomenal Mile: A Personal Challenge for YOU!
• Kim Turner’s Page
• Deanna Edwards’ Page
• Joannie Yuille’s Page

Keep checking back for more updates on Race of Our Lives virtual fundraising pages from now until the race!