I’m Alex (pictured right) I’m a junior in high school and I’m a cyclist . I’m on the Monterey Bay Racing Team, MBRT, based around Monterey CA where I live and I am in love with racing my bike. Two of my best races/accomplishments are winning the circuit race in the Sea Otter Classic, a huge international cycling event, and very recently being chosen for the Tour of Ireland on the USA west team. The Tour of Ireland is the biggest junior cycling race in Europe and also one of the most prestigious in the world. Getting selected for this race is a huge leap forward in my cycling career towards my dream of becoming a professional cyclist. Unfortunately being selected doesn’t mean that all funds are covered by the USA. I still have to pay for airfare, entry into the race, food, and lodging and all that adds up quite a bit. I need to be in Ireland by July 8th although the race starts on the 10th. After 6 hard and fun days of racing I will be leaving Ireland on the 16th. I hope you can help me achieve my goal of getting top 5 in at least one of the 6 stages and eventually becoming a professional cyclist.