A cancer survivor and two-pack-a-day smoker who became a fitness trainer is riding his bicycle cross country to raise money for people still battling “the big C.”
Fred Vlchek, a trim 235 pounds at 6-foot-5, arrived in Durango on Monday, day 11 of a 38-day ride from Oceanside, Calif., to Annapolis, Md.
Vlchek, 44, a six-year survivor of testicular cancer, wants to help people who he says weren’t as lucky as he.
“When I was getting chemo, I saw men who had to choose between putting food on the table and receiving their treatment,” Vlchek said. “I didn’t have to make the choice because my company paid me when I didn’t work.”
The money raised by Knights of Columbus members – Vlchek is a top fourth-degree brother in the order – along his route will go to offset treatment costs of cancer patients and promote public awareness of prevention efforts.
Community members gathered Monday night at Carver Brewing Co. in support of Vlchek’s ride and to hear his story.
Vlchek travels light and alone on a 2010 Specialized Roubaix Expert. All his clothing – five changes of jersey and shorts, four skull caps and four pairs of socks – and personal articles fit in a bag that hangs behind the saddle.
Up front, Vlchek has a GPS tracker so support team members can keep tabs on him, Google maps and a CycleDroid, a bicycle computer that tracks such data as speed, time, elevation and calories burned.
In a typical day, sticking to major highways, Vlchek covers 60 miles. But he’s done as few as 45 and as many as 126.
“I mind my P’s and Q’s, so I don’t have problems with traffic,” Vlchek said. “But some big trucks give me wind.”
A 13-year U.S. Army veteran, Vlchek spent six years in the airborne infantry, the remainder as a nurse. During the last six years, he’s been a fitness trainer at Gold’s Gym in Denver and Washington, D.C.
He wasn’t always in top-notch physical condition, in spite of being in the military. When his weight reached 362 and he was emptying two packs of cigarettes a day, Vlchek decided something had to give.
“I started to train in the gym, and the pounds dropped off,” Vlchek said. “After a while, they told me, ‘You should be a fitness trainer.’”
In 2011, Vlchek founded the nonprofit Fred’s Difference to increase awareness about cancer and provide financial support for cancer patients and their families.
It took two years to work out the logistics of the ride.
“The everyday demands are a challenge, but nothing compared to all the planning,” Vlchek said. “I dipped the rear wheel of my bike in the Pacific Ocean, and plan to dip the front wheel in the Atlantic.”
daler@durangoherald.com
