Hello Rooster Teeth 

My name is R. Dominic Harden,

When I was born my parents noticed something was wrong with my legs so they took me to Children’s Hospital in Colorado. I was born with bilateral proximal femoral focal deficiency (BPFFD), basically what this means is that the joints that connect my hips to my legs did not form correctly when I was born making both my legs shorter, and so, I mainly have stand in a crouched position. The doctor (Dr. Chang) who saw me when I was a baby said to my parents that there was nothing that could be done for me but when I grow up I will be a part of his ski program.

I join the disabled ski program when I was ten years old and was a part of it until I was eighteen years old. The year after I joined, I heard about the Courage Classic. I thought that, hey this is an awesome event that I can be a part of. Three years later Children’s offered me a deal. I could have a bike that was donated to them if I rode in the Courage Classic. I jumped at this and have been riding every year in the Courage Classic since. Though this is the reason I started riding in the Courage classic, I still ride for other reasons.
I ride for three main reasons; giving back to Children’s, hope for the future, and unity. I have always ridden with the hope to give back to Children’s hospital for everything that they have done for me and my family. I ride for hope for the future, because even if only one person is inspired to do something good the world will be one person better. I ride because of the unity I see at the Courage Classic, having more than Two-Thousand people from all across the nation coming together in support of this one event.

I am posting this story here to hopefully raise awareness of the Courage Classic and to hopefully get donations to support the Children's Hospital in Colorado.

The Courage Classic is a bike tour that takes place in Colorado every summer for the past twenty eight years and has been a major fundraiser for the Children's Hospital of Colorado. Every year there are over two-thousand riders and more than three hundred volunteers that help support the event. Please help support this event this year if you can. Thank you for your time.

This is a link to my personal donations page if you are willing to donate to the cause

http://support.childrenscoloradofoundation.org/site/TR/CourageClassic/General?px=1133697&pg=personal&fr_id=1450