Support Vega's Recovery from Emergency Surgery

Hello, friends, family, acquaintances, colleagues, and kind strangers! Our beloved Vega needs your help as she recovers from an unexpected surgery. Vega was hospitalized last weekend with a severe infection and was hit with some terrible news. She's going to need emergency surgery to remove part of her GI tract and will be unable to work for six weeks.

Vega works as an acupuncturist and professional bike fitter in Aspen, Colorado, where she's a joyfully supportive member of the bike and ski community. She is also the president and founder of Inspire Cycling, a nonprofit women's cycling collective. I can't say enough about her wry sense of humor, her delight in the wonders of nature, or the courage and bravery she's shown in the face of disabling medical conditions. She has a beautiful, giving heart and dedicates so much time and energy to yearly fundraisers for MS and HIV/AIDS research. When she got the news that she would need surgery, she was devastated to have to miss out on this year's AIDS/LifeCycle ride. In recent years, she's had a hard battle with long COVID that has already impacted her ability to work. She is far from her family and has limited resources. Unfortunately, as a small business owner, she doesn't have access to PTO, sick leave, or short-term disability to help her pay her bills while she recovers from this invasive and scary procedure.

We aren't asking for much—just enough to cover living expenses until she's cleared to go back to work. You can trust that one day she'll pay it forward and will receive your generosity with a thankful and humble heart. Thank you for giving whatever you can!