Copyright Joliet, IL Patch
The 2025 Million Dollar Challenge bicycle ride from Santa Rosa to San Diego will cover 600 miles by Oct. 24. Zach Friedley grew up like a lot of kids, playing baseball and football and competing on the wrestling team. “All the Midwest classics,” he said. But he did it with one leg because the other one stops above the knee. For years, he wore a prosthetic made of wood, like a movie pirate. “It was pretty bare bones,” he said. Today, he is a professional trail runner competing in some of the most grueling events worldwide. He has done so since 2007, wearing a blade, which has made trail-running possible. "A 50K through the Alps is my sweet spot,” he said. An athlete like Friedland, who puts in hundreds upon hundreds of grueling miles, goes through blades quickly. “They get destroyed, like shoes,” he said. They are more expensive than running shoes – hundreds and thousands of dollars more. Which is why Friedland joined more than a hundred people Saturday in Santa Rosa for a 600-mile, 7-day Million Dollar Challenge down the California Coast to raise money for athletes like himself. The ride is an extension of the Challenged Athletes Foundation – or CAF – which helps athletes who have physical challenges gain access to sports worldwide. Recipients include children, who not only receive the means for physical mobility, but also see themselves in people like Friedland, now 41. The ride is, in the words of the organization, intended to bring together a community with the mission of changing the perception of what people with permanent physical disabilities can accomplish. “The ride brings out the best in each person,” Million Dollar Challenge Ride Chairman Dean Roeper said Friday during a pre-ride event at the Flamingo Resort and Spa in Santa Rosa. “The best of California is right here in the room,” he said. In addition to physical endurance, the riders contribute funds by each raising $15,000. By the organization’s count, CAF has raised more than $191 million to respond to more than 52,000 funding requests from people with physical challenges in all 50 states and 70 countries. Healdsburg resident Christine Webster is one of them. She suffered a stroke 18 years ago that left her unable to walk, talk, or even remember her name. Her right side is still paralyzed. Webster rides a donated electric three-wheel cycle. "I put my leg in a clip and then hold on for dear life." Grants from CAF helped her pay for the physical therapy needed to manage tasks, like walking. Christian Metzler, who said he was born without a foot, is able to run marathons as a result of CAF. “Running was a bit of a challenge for me,” he said, looking down at the prosthetic he wears on his right leg. Not only did he run a marathon but competed in an Iron Man, considered one of the most challenging endurance events. “The community knows what you can do before you do,” he said.
