ALS has led to some of my darkest days and many, many sleepless nights. My personal familiarity of this horrid disease started with the Ice Bucket Challenge, which went viral back in 2014. At the time, to me, it was just a cool thing to do for social media. Pour some cold water on your head, challenge your friends to do the same, and maybe donate a few bucks. Get some Facebook likes, maybe watch your friends dump ice on their head, and move on with your day. Little could I guess how much this disease would change our lives a few short years later.

My father, David Molzahn, tripped and twisted his ankle in the forest surrounding our family lakehouse in Northern Wisconsin in 2019. A fairly common thing to happen as one ages. However, his ankle just never seemed to heal. After surgery to remove some bone spurs did not fix the mobility problems, which had by this point spread up his left leg, a visit to the prestigious Mayo Clinic was next. The doctors conducted exhaustive testing over the course of a week. I was on a work trip to SoCal at the time, and watched the test results trickle in every evening, with growing horror. A last-minute schedule change led to me sitting alone on a hotel bed watching a video conference as a doctor calmly and clinically delivered the life-changing news. ALS is diagnosed by the elimination of all other possible neurological conditions - it's the only scenario where you are actively hoping for there to be something like a brain tumor or spinal cord issue. 

The ALS diagnosis came for our family in August of 2021. 

Often referred to as Lou Gehrig's Disease, ALS is a progressive, fatal neurodegenerative disease that slowly robs a person of their ability to walk, speak, swallow, and, eventually, to breathe. The average life expectancy after diagnosis with ALS is 2 to 4 years. It has now been over 3 years since that day.

Since then, every visit back to my home state of Wisconsin is a glimpse into the reality that my parents, and others with ALS, are experiencing every day. The continued, slow but perceptible loss of mobility and freedom. The sleepless nights and night terrors as limbs no longer respond. Watching both of your parents age with increasing rapidity, and being helpless to do anything about it. Knowing that each and every time you go home, it may be the last Thanksgiving you have together. The last Christmas. The last birthday. The last day.

There are also joys. Our family embraced the concept of finding the silver linings, and taking things one day at a time. I was able to show them Yosemite for the first time a few months after diagnosis. To show that his life wasn't over, my Dad went waterskiing (a life-long passion of our entire family) the month after his initial diagnosis; perhaps the only person with ALS to waterski...? We've always kept a positive attitude, and apply that to all things in life. Even with something as tragic as this disease. While the cause of ALS is often unknown, there are certain genetic markers that can indicate a heridatary component to this disease. Fortunately, our family has none of these markers, indicating no hereditary risk. My brothers and I no longer live in Wisconsin, but we all share the joys of our lives. From me, that means sharing many photos and videos from my backpacking trips, video chatting while going down a ski slope, sending selfies from group bike rides, and of course, sharing Triathlon videos... as anyone who saw me at the Ironman California aid station can attest!!. Knowing that there is a clock has brought us closer together.

To help cope with this news, I signed up for my first Tri back in 2021 having never swum in the ocean before. Being active with a healthy body is something that I will never take for granted. The Golden Gate Triathlon Club has become my source for support and therapy; most of you without even knowing it! I've come to love the group dynamic, the camaraderie during long workouts, the Slack so full of shared knowledge and joy, and (most of all) the sense of community that GGTC provides. This sport, and especially cycling, has provided healing, both mental and physical, to my soul. In 2024, I became an Ambassador and Long Distance Program Captain for this club, which has allowed me to give back even more. Leading workouts, giving Slack advise, recommending equipment, and trying to be a good example of how to live a balanced life motivates me every day.

Last year, I was able to race in front of my family at the US Triathlon National Championships in Milwaukee, WI. I may never experience running in front of my entire family again, but being able to high-five my entire family as I ran past is a moment that I'll never forget.

Earlier this year, I saw that the Napa Valley Ride to End ALS was happening on my birthday (September 14) this year. Signing up was a no-brainer. 

I'd be honored to have your support.

A few Photos:https://photos.app.goo.gl/QgZgykFWaefzURuq7

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