Gale Fritsche, a self-proclaimed “avid runner and cyclist,” loves to compete, having raced in the Boston Marathon and local races for years. He leads a healthy lifestyle, and his family has no history of cancer, but when he turned 50, his health turned with him.
Gale took a trip to the doctor for a routine colonoscopy, expecting to receive good results and be on his way, but the doctor delivered the news that he had stage III colon cancer.
“I’ve been pretty active my whole life,” said Gale, from the Allentown area. “I have been a competitive athlete pretty much my whole life until recently. You kind of get this feeling that you’re invincible. I thought it couldn’t happen to me because I eat right and exercise and take care of myself. I did have any symptoms.”
April 2, 2014 was the date Gale received the news, and a week later he underwent surgery, followed by six months of chemotherapy treatments.
“I’m married, and I have two college-aged children,” said Gale. “I was treated at Lehigh Valley Hospital, and the treatments took hours, so my kids and my wife would take shifts taking care of me. It was just a constant flow of people getting treated for cancer, from kids to people in their 80s.”
Despite the daunting reality of battling cancer, Gale remained positive and looked beyond the present moment to a bright future.
“I was confident I was going to beat this,” he said. “I was thinking about what I was going to do after I beat it.”
That is when Gale got the idea to create an event that would raise money and awareness for the battle against colon cancer.
“I was thinking about how many people are walking around and could have it,” said Gale. “A third of the population in America doesn’t get screened at all. The second third postpone it. Only a third of the population gets screened. Colon cancer is preventable, and it’s the second leading cause of cancer deaths, and that’s typically because people don’t get screened. People don’t really talk about it, and I decided I was going to do everything I could to raise awareness.”
With this idea ruminating in Gale’s mind, he decided to call the Cancer Coalition and ask for their help.
“They were really receptive of the idea of doing something to raise funds,” said Gale. “They don’t usually do bike rides.”
Gale wanted to do a bike ride rather than a run because it is something he has enjoyed doing and competing in for a long time.
With the Cancer Coalition behind him, Gale moved forward as the director of the first annual “Tour de Tush” bicycle ride for colon cancer awareness.
Shortly after, Olympus America, Inc. signed on as the presenting sponsor, and Kutztown University also signed on as a sponsor, providing a rest stop within the town for cyclists.
“We have already raised about $20,000 for the cause through sponsors and donations,” said Gale. “The money will go to help raise awareness, but it will also help people who can’t afford screening.”
The EMT Angels, a motorcycle club comprised of all EMT volunteers, will ride their motorcycles as course marshals at the event.
The “Tour de Tush” bicycle race will be held on June 13, beginning at Grange Park in Upper Macungie Township.
“There will be two bike routes offered,” said Gale. “One will be a 30 mile route, that essentially rides to the rest stop in Kutztown and comes back. The other will be a metric century route, or 62 miles, and that will begin at the same place, stopping in Kutztown and continuing on to Robin Hill Campground in Lenhartsville.”
There will a DJ, food, raffles and swag gifts for participants. Each rider will receive a t-shirt and finisher’s medal, as well.
Riders can register the day of the race at 7 a.m., and the bike ride begins at 8 a.m.
Registration and information can also be found at coloncancercoalition.org/tourdetush. “Tour de Tush” also has a Facebook page and Twitter account that posts with the hashtag #tourdetush.
Gale is hoping the event will be a success in the larger battle against colon cancer.
“Like me, there are many lives to be saved by raising awareness and encouraging people to go through the screening process,” he said. “Believe me, one day of being uncomfortable is much better than months of fighting for your life.”
