Team PHenomenal Hope Athletes Hit Road to Peddle for Pulmonary Hypertension Awareness

News provided by

Jul 27, 2017, 17:40 ET


Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (PRWEB) July 27, 2017 -- For bicycling enthusiasts around the globe, Germany's famous Rad am Ring offers as much mystique as it does challenge. The 24-hour race takes place against a backdrop of tree-lined hills at the Nürburgring, a Formula One arena known for its beauty and difficulty.

Slated to run from July 28-30, Rad am Ring consists of some 73 curves, stretching out over more than 500 meters of differing altitudes. Bicyclists may take on speeds exceeding 60 miles per hour in their push to the finish. For members of Team PHenomenal Hope, they'll do so with one overriding goal: Give voice to a group of patients who suffer from pulmonary hypertension, a sometimes terminal disease with no known cure.

"It's definitely going to be a test for us, but not anything like the demanding terrain of conditions our PH patients must navigate day-in, day-out," said Dr. Patricia George, a pulmonary hypertension physician in Denver and co-founder of Team PHenomenal Hope. "We're lucky to breathe for them on this course, and we're honored to tell their story and have the support of our sponsors."

The team entered 20 riders into Rad am Ring this year. George and eight others represent the nonprofit's U.S. team; 11 are from the German chapter. They are all racing on behalf of specific patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) as part of Team PHenomenal Hope's program called #LetMeBeYourLungs.

"This is our way of literally taking action, moving the need for awareness and support forward," George said. "This race is just one more milestone in our race toward a cure."

Founded in 2012, Team PHenomenal Hope consists of more than 100 global members in Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Germany, Ireland, Mexico, and the United States. The nonprofit's racers compete in several endurance athletic arenas – from marathons and cycling events to mountain climbing and triathlons – to increase awareness of pulmonary hypertension and to raise funding for medical research.

Sarah Bon, +1 (910) 399-2700 Ext: 2, [email protected]