In the past few years my good friend Jeff discovered his new love of biking, and has enjoyed the process of challenging himself to be better in every way he can. Digging into his statistics, and having game plans for efforts and zones when he's out there. More recently he's leaned into gravel racing, but in the recent Filthy 50 gravel race in Lanesboro Minnesota, Jeff crashed, suffering a neck fracture, which pinched his spinal cord, creating the initial situation of not having any feeling below his chest.

Luckily, due to the quick actions of bikers around him Jeff was able to be loaded into an ambulance and rushed to the Mayo Clinic to undergo surgery. After the surgery the Dr gave us hope saying "if you could choose to have a spinal injury, this would be the one", but he has a long road to recovery with months and months ahead.

Filty 50 - 2026

Since then Jeff has shown positive signs of progress - small movement in toes and knees, feeling when people touch a foot in spots, and where those neural pathways show signs we know future movement and control can follow. He spent a week in the ICU, and another still at the Mayo working on a rehabilitation plan, but has now been transferred out of the Mayo Clinic to a facility much closer to home that can help him with his long-term recovery, and this where his family needs our help.

We don't know the time this recovery will take, but it will likely be 6 months or longer. Day by day and week by week he's going to put in the work to getting back out there on his bike, joining his group rides, and chasing after his times on his favorite segments and routes; one particular one we push each other on is the Ohio St climb in St Paul, MN.

Any and all donations will help cover ongoing medical expenses throughout his long-term recovery. If you're able to give or share this fundraiser it would mean the world to his family. Let's band together and help Jeff recover and get home to his family and friends