UPLAND, Calif. — Forty years ago Randy Horowitz broke his neck in a diving accident at the Colorado river.  He was 23 years old and not long into his professional career.  From the diving accident he became a quadriplegic and spent 4 months in a halo.  As you can imagine, it was an incredibly difficult time, however, Randy was very fortunate to be able to regain a great deal of his strength and now is just partially paralyzed on his right side and walks with only a slight limp.  Randy states, “I have never taken a can’t do attitude.  I actively snow ski, ride a bike, play golf, etc., and I even jumped out of an airplane.”

One thing, however, Randy can’t do that he used to, is run and that is his one regret: never having ran a marathon when he had the ability to do so.  One day it hit him that if he couldn’t run, then he could bike.  “I can attempt to ride 100 miles instead of a marathon.”  Athletes often compare cycling a 100 miles to running a marathon.

So, Randy set a goal to ride 100 miles on August 21st, which is the 40th anniversary of the day he broke his neck.  He is now 63 years old.

Randy is obviously motivated to do this for himself, but he is even more motivated to do this for all the people that he is now inspiring.  He has several friends that have joined him on this journey and will be riding with him.  There are many that are paralyzed, and others who suffer with serious physical ailments or limitations and while they can’t necessarily do what he can, they are getting inspired by following the journey.

Another important component is that Randy’s daughter Ashton was affected in such a positive way by his determination and hard work, that she went to school to become a physical therapist.  She is now the lead specialist at The Perfect Step, which is one of the premier, state of the art, paralysis recovery centers in Southern California.  Randy chose The Perfect Step to announce his goal of cycling 100 miles. The Be Perfect Foundation was established to provide support for individuals living with paralysis, many of whom attend The Perfect Step. The Be Perfect Foundation is very proud that 99 cents out of every dollar goes directly to someone in need.  Visit www.BePerfectFoundation.org to learn more.

Randy’s son Taylor, who is an amateur endurance athlete, will be flying out to do the ride with them.  While the ride was initially planned from Anaheim Stadium to San Diego on PCH, safety concerns for the riders (heat, narrow and very busy roads) came into play.  The new plan is for the race to take place on Saturday, November 13th, with the “Tour de Foothills”, an organized ride which will include about 1500 cyclists.  This is sponsored in large part by Casa Colina, a world renowned rehabilitation hospital.

Randy’s goals for the ride: complete, inspire and try to have a respectable time.  Check out Randy, his children, and his team, “The Perfect Step” – join the ride!  www.tourdefoothills.com  Deadline for entry is November 10th.

Best of luck to all!

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