Riding for Roses

An open letter to Lance Armstrong and Doug Ulman (CEO of the LAF),

I hold you two, and the entire LAF, responsible for the attached photo. After Lance mentioned (again) “more wristbands than I’ve ever seen on one person” at the LIVESTRONG Challenge Austin pre-ride dinner, Spencer decided he had to one-up himself. He scoured the [...]

The LAF Manifesto video is released in a small Flash version. There is also a large version of the LAF Manifesto video that you can load directly. Both versions have compression too high (and quality a little too low) for my taste. I’m asking around to see if there will be higher quality versions online.

I [...]

Fighting cancer is hard. It is many diseases. It requires many cures. The cures have side effects ranging from annoying to awful. How can we fight such a multi-headed beast? Start with some simple steps:

Join what Austin Murphy calls Amstrong’s Army of cancer advocates. This is the online registration to be involved in the Lance [...]

Spencer with Lance Armstrong in Sports Illustrated

The phone rings on April 18. Austin Murphy is writing the story about Lance and wants to talk about the Sports Illustrated cover photo. Spencer is home sick and is happy to talk with Austin – as long as I leave the room while they are on the [...]

In April, the Rolodex effect snowballed.

KLRU filmed Spencer’s rock climbing class, a visit to the oncologist, and came by the house to interview us (Spencer, Rachel, and me). Spencer banished Rachel and me to our bedroom (with his brother Jacob) while he was interviewed so that he would be able to speak without [...]

Never discount the Rolodex Effect.

It turns out there are at least two feedback cycles. One is that, being in the media makes you worth covering. The other (stronger I believe) is that Spencer (and I, his publicist) wound up in the rolodexes of several people at Children’s Hospital of Austin and the Lance Armstrong Foundation [...]

Tour Watch 2005 turned out to be a critical part of Spencer’s fundraising success, along with a raffle at my favorite coffee shop, the “It’s a Grind” at 620 and Anderson Mill in Austin. I blasted out notes to the reporter at KEYE who had done a great story about the Tour Watch and [...]

Apparently my Google page rank is just high enough that some people find my blog on purpose. Two people found the 24 Hour Fitness entry, leading to an exciting July.

First, Paul Walhus, who attended the 24 Hour Fitness event contacted me with pictures. Paul was organizing Tour Watch 2005 – an event at Austin’s Central [...]

In May, 2005, Lance took a tiny break from his European cycling schedule to come to the states. Among the things he did on that brief visit was attend an Austin opening of the newly branded 24 Hour Fitness Lance Armstrong Sport Club. Spencer wanted to go and see Lance. He loaded up and was [...]

I have become Spencer’s publicist. I must not be very good at it since all I get is unpaid gigs, but they are all helping publicize the fight against cancer of all kinds.

It all started quite by coincidence. Followed by another coincidence. And another. So, let’s play “six degrees of Spencer Sartin” and run through [...]