Riding for Life
Tyler TerMeer’s participation in California’s AIDS/LifeCycle is just part of his commitment to fighting HIV
By Stacey Jay Cavaliere
A 545-mile bicycle ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles is a test, but it’s just part of Tyler TerMeer’s determination to bring greater awareness to HIV/AIDS.
TerMeer, 27, who is director of Men’s and Youth Programs at for the Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS in Phoenix, will be participating for the second time in AIDS/LifeCycle, an annual event that raises funds for HIV/AIDS support in California. The seven-day ride starts on June 6.
“Last year I embarked on my first AIDS/Life Cycle journey and it changed my life forever,” TerMerr said. “The community there is unlike anything I have experienced before and the love and passion for the cause only fuels me do even more to fight for this cause.”
Since being diagnosed HIV-positive in 2004, TerMeer has made it his mission to spread awareness about the disease and has worked to erase the stigma attached to HIV/AIDS.
“The silence there is around the epidemic has fueled young people like me to be active,” TerMeer said. “I feel that we have the responsibility to renew the energy and passion to fight the epidemic head on.”
LifeCycle is one way to help. Last year, TerMeer raised $5,600 in pledges for his ride. This year, he has more than 100 donors — family, friends and co-workers who donated $10, $15 or more. “I’ve always encouraged my donors to make a donation of any size,” he said. “Every dollar counts in the fight against HIV/AIDS.”
TerMeer has been cycling for just a couple of years, something he started after he committed to a healthier life plan that involved eating better, exercising more and obtaining the Schwinn Fastback Roadback that he’ll ride in LifeCycle.
He said the program to benefit his immune system has resulted in a 85 pound weight loss “and I am the healthiest I’ve been in my life.”
To stay in shape, he teaches a spinning class at the Lincoln Family Downtown YMCA and goes on weekly long-distance rides. He also runs and swims and hopes to compete in his first triathlon later this year.
A diagnosis leads to a career
It was 2004 when TerMeer discovered that he was HIV-positive after being tested in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio. “I’ve always been an individual whom was incredibly responsible both in my everyday life as well as in my sexual life,” TerMeer said. “When I found out the test came back positive I remember a single tear rolling down my face, I was in shock.”
After the initial jolt, TerMeer immersed himself in finding out everything there was to know about the disease and resources. He said the Columbus AIDS Task Force (CATF) proved to be his biggest support, and eventually inspired his life’s work.
“I am so touched when I stand and look back at the organization and all they do for people like me,” TerMeer said. “Through this organization I was able to take control of my situation and have also had the pleasure to have given back to them as a volunteer as well.”
TerMeer’s HIV/AIDS activism gained momentum in 2005 when he was hired as director of programming and client outreach coordinator for Ohio AIDS Coalition. He supervised a team of outreach workers, coordinated events, wrote grants and developed the Ohio Positive Youth program, which was aimed at raising HIV awareness to young people. He also continued his partnership with CATF, designing and implementing events for youth and establishing a social marketing campaign that advocated for comprehensive sexuality education in schools.
TerMeer joined Hope’s Voice International, serving as a national speaker in the Road to Hope National Speaking Tour in 2006. TerMeer and other HIV-infected individuals traveled across the country as a spokesperson for the organization’s “Does HIV Look Like Me?” campaign. The tour gained national attention and the group was featured on the cover of Newsweek and in other national publications.
In August 2008, TerMeer started work at the Southwest Center, the largest clinical trial, education and behavioral health and nutrition support center dedicated to fighting the HIV/AIDS in the Southwest.
His job includes overseeing HIV testing and counseling and working with prevention programs for men. He’s also building a youth transition program for newly diagnosed young adults and those born with HIV who are seeking treatment but aging out of Phoenix Childen’s Hospital programs.
Support from family and friends
TerMeer has been raising funds since last year’s AIDS/LifeCycle ended in an emotional family reunion. “My mother and sister surprised me and flew out to Los Angeles to watch me come through the finish line,” Ter Meer remembered. “When I turned the final corner I saw them cheering for me. It was that emotional moment we all shared as a family.”
His sister Stephanie is coming from Atlanta again — this year to ride with TerMeer. His best friend, Scott Brown, also will be along for the ride.
“AIDS/LifeCycle is a community of people you only dream about existing,” TerMeer said. “Everyone is so caring, compassionate, and are all making a huge difference.”
He would like to see a similar ride started in Arizona. “While I understand the importance of the ride in California and the money and awareness it raises, I also see the need for it in other areas of the U.S. as well, especially Arizona. There are thousands of people in the Valley that need the same support, as there are still very limited resources here,” TerMeer said
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“This is a pivotal moment in the movement and I will continue dedicating my life to raise awareness, education, and fight to erase the stigma attached to the disease.”
To learn more about TerMeer or to contribute to his AIDS/LifeCycle fundraising efforts, visit www.tofightforhiv.org/goto/tyler.termeer or visit his AIDS/LifeCycle blog at www.alcteamphx.blogspot.com.
Four other Arizona riders
TerMeer is one of several bikers from Arizona participating in this year’s AIDS/LifeCylce. He formed Team Phoenix with Dan Maxey and Scott Brown. Melissa Kuhlman and Nicole Carver, also of Phoenix, are the AZ Girls.
Dan Maxey, who is participating in AIDS/LifeCycle for a third year, said he rides for family and friends whose lives have been touched by HIV and AIDS. “Throughout this journey, I have been deeply moved by the very strong will and determination of my friends who are living with HIV,” Maxey said. “I’ve seen many of them through some really tough days, but have also seen them rise above challenges many of us never face and approach their lives with a strong desire to make a difference.”
Scott Brown said he’s a novice to cycling, but he’s training by cycling with friends every week. He said his education about AIDS began two years ago when he met someone living with HIV for first time. “That conversation has led to an enduring relationship that is fueled with passion for making a difference in the world,” Brown said. “I am riding for everyone who is living with HIV or AIDS. I am riding for those who have a brother, sister, friend, mom, dad, or even coworker living with HIV or AIDS. And most of all, I am riding for my best friend.”
Melissa Kuhlman is participating in AIDS/LifeCycle for the first time and is training by running, cycling, yoga and hiking. “I am inspired by a family friend’s HIV diagnosis,” Kulman said. “I have a renewed commitment to HIV/AIDS activism and am looking forward to the challenge of the ride.”
Nicole Carver follows a cycling training program and attends spin class three times a week to prepare for her first AIDS/LifeCycle. “ I have not been personally affected by HIV/AIDS, but I am thrilled to have this opportunity to help out and be affiliated with such an important cause,” Carver said. “I can’t wait until the ride because I know I will meet so many cool people and it will be a life changing experience for me.”
About AIDS/LifeCycle
AIDS/LifeCycle is a 545-mile cycling tour through California, beginning on June 6 in San Francisco and ending on June 12 in Los Angeles, that raises funds for organizations that support HIV/AIDS services.
The mission is to increase awareness, visibility and knowledge about services and programs, to increase activism and volunteerism, and to encourage an environment of dignity and improved quality of life to those affected by HIV and AIDS.
Now in its ninth year, AIDS/LifeCycle has raised nearly $60 million. About 3,000 riders participate in AIDS/LifeCycle, and they are asked to raise a minimum of $3,000. More than 500 volunteers assist along the route.
Participants pass through hundreds of communities in California as a memorial to those who have died of AIDS, all the while raising awareness to those they pass along the way.
Cyclers ride an average of 80 miles per day over varying terrain. One day will be a long, flat stretch of land, while another may be a strenuous uphill climb to the top of a steep mountain. Along the route there are thousands of supportive people cheering them on, pushing and encouraging them to the finish line.
The event is produced by the L.A Gay & Lesbian Center and the San Francisco AIDS Foundation.
To learn more about AIDS/LifeCycle, visit www.aidslifecycle.org.
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