CycleQuest 2009 Begins May 18, 2009!

CycleQuest Cycling Odyssey For Ovarian Cancer Awareness Begins May 18

560 mile Stillwater to Hannibal, Missouri Ride Planned

Minneapolis, Minn. – Brad Wingate, a resident of Tempe, Arizona, will launch his 560-mile bicycling odyssey May 18, riding from Stillwater, Minnesota to his hometown of Hannibal, Missouri to raise awareness about ovarian cancer.

The disease claimed the life of Brad’s wife - Susan DeFrank Wingate - in 2005. Susan was a dedicated athlete who loved cycling, running, hiking and camping. She spent much of her professional career working with students with disabilities at Arizona State University.

“Ovarian cancer is insidious. It can already be well advanced when the often-subtle symptoms are first noticed. Early detection is key to saving lives. That’s why I’m riding, to alert women and their families to the warning signs,” Brad says.

Brad departs from Stillwater, Minnesota, located east of the Twin Cities, on May 18 and will arrive in the historic Northeast Missouri community of Hannibal May 23.

The ride will take him through Red Wing, Wabasha, Winona, La Crescent, Decorah, Manchester (Waterloo), Alamosa, Iowa City, Burlington, Quincy (Ill.), and Hannibal (MO.).

Check out the ride’s progress by visiting www.cyclequest.blogspot.com.
Updates will be posted during the ride.

Brad’s last major CycleQuest ride was a 930-mile, ten-day cycling journey across the heartland in July 2007 from Vail, Colorado to Hannibal. In 2004, he did his first Minneapolis to Hannibal ride for ovarian cancer awareness.

Brad is a former Category 2 cyclist ranked with the U.S. Cycling Federation. He is currently a manager at the Tempe, Arizona REI (Recreational Equipment Inc.)a national retail outlet selling equipment and supplies for outdoor recreational activities. “As a 20-year employee of REI, I receive a five-week sabbatical,” Brad explains, “so this is the perfect time to help inform others about the importance of recognizing the signs of ovarian cancer,” he adds.

Ovarian cancer symptoms are often vague and non-specific; women may attribute the symptoms to other - more common - conditions.

By the time the cancer is diagnosed, the tumor has often spread beyond the ovaries.
A woman has a 1 in 67 chance of developing ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer is the fifth most common cancer among women, and it causes more deaths than any other type of female reproductive cancer.
Older women are at highest risk. About two-thirds of the deaths from ovarian cancer occur in women age 55 and older. About 25 percent of ovarian cancer deaths occur in women between 35 and 54 years of age.


The signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer are often subtle:

•pelvic or abdominal pain or discomfort;

•vague but persistent gastrointestinal upsets such as gas,nausea and indigestion;

•frequency and/or urgency of urination in the absence of an infection;

•unexplained weight gain or weight loss;

•pelvic and/or abdominal swelling, bloating and/or feeling of fullness;

•ongoing unusual fatigue;

•or unexplained changes in bowel habits.

If symptoms persist for more than two weeks ask your doctor for a combination pelvic/rectal exam, a CA-125 blood test, and transvaginal ultrasound.

A PAP Test will NOT detect ovarian cancer.



Media Advisory:

To schedule an interview and photo opportunity with Brad, please contact
John Wingate at 612-782-8551 or via email at john(at)wingategroup.com