Samantha Gilley of Flintstone has begun rigorous training for an amazing journey. Samantha, 17, is preparing to ride her bicycle some 400 miles from Chattanooga to Memphis.
But, this is no ordinary journey. Samantha is blind.
At the age of only six months, Samantha was diagnosed with bilateral retinoblastoma, an aggressive form of cancer that affects a person’s eyes. Complications from the disease placed her chances of survival at less than 10% and have required her to undergo many hours of treatment over the years at St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital in Memphis and various other hospitals around the country.
However, carried by her faith, Samantha approached it all with a willingness to be used by God in each situation and refused to feel sorry for herself. This attitude has driven her in everything she does and she felt it was time to give back to the hospital that helped save her life.
So, beginning in early October, Samantha, along with a sighted co-pilot, will tackle her dream to ride her bike from Chattanooga to Memphis. Samantha hopes to raise money and awareness for the work done at St. Jude and to give hope to kids in situations just like her own.
Samantha has been dreaming of this for several years and training for the ride began last fall. Like everything else she does, from rock climbing to snow skiing, Samantha has proven to be an inspiration to those training and working with her in preparation for her ride.
The ride will take her from Chattanooga, over Monteagle Mountain and through Nashville on her way to St. Jude in Memphis, arriving in time to celebrate "Survivor Day," an annual celebration held by the hospital.
Samantha will also be the honorary leader for the 3 State 3 Mountain Challenge to be held May 5. That event, which will begin at Finley Stadium, will include 2,500 riders on courses that stretch up to 100 miles.