Weight Loss Surgery Patient Mr. Bill Streetman launches his “Tour of Hope” fundraising bicycle ride across Michigan and Ohio. The best part is YOU are invited along! The WLSFA is asking all of our supporters to join Bill in person as a rider or online as a donor to support Bill on this once in a life time adventure. Bill’s Tour of Hope will raise awareness for the WLSFA and our mission to help people get the medical treatment they need and to improve the lives of people effected by obesity.
In Bill’s Words:
Fifty-four years of life had taught me that I didn’t have the ability to manage my eating. Try as I did (and I tried all the diets plans out there), I simply didn’t have the ability to manage my food intake. Some people are born with the innate ability to self-manage this aspect of their life. I didn’t. I needed a tool to help ME on my Journey to Fitness. Gastric bypass was that tool for me. I am so very grateful for the ‘tool’ of my gastric bypass. My RNY was the tool I needed to help me overcome the disease of obesity. For years, without weight loss surgery, I had tried and failed to lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Now with the tool of gastric bypass, I have been able to achieve my goal of losing weight and leading a healthy lifestyle. I was fortunate to have the resources to pay for the surgery that gave me this tool. I know there are many people out there who would benefit, as I have, from weight loss surgerys, but don’t have insurance or the financial means of paying for the procedure. I want to help those people.
A special message from Bill to other men dealing with the disease of morbid obesity:
At first glance living a healthy lifestyle may look a lot like living in a deprived or unrewarded state. It would appear that there are foods you can’t eat, limits to how much you can eat, things you must deny yourself. It feels like a life where you have to say NO a lot, and give up things you enjoy. The act of seeking medical advice can seem like an admittance of defeat to some men. Opening up to a doctor is embarrassing, talking about your weaknesses, failures, faults and such are not comfortable for most people, men particularly. It leaves a man open to hostile critique, ridicule, and judgement. I tell men all the time that living a healthy lifestyle is just the opposite from being limited or restricted. That a healthy lifestyle is actually very self-empowering.
- I decide what level of health and fitness I want – and I accept the corresponding lifestyle (‘Best Weight’)
- I make the choices about what, where, and when I eat.
- By my own authority I deem that the next [time range] will be mine to spend in an uninterrupted workout.
Bill Streetman Weight Loss Surgery Patient
Contact Bill Today!
This is my challenge to me and to you, support my fundraiser and help me save lives and raise awareness for the Weight Loss Surgery Foundation of America, because together we are “Saving Lives One Grant at a Time”
Please make a donation now to support the Tour of Hope
ABOUT THE ‘TOUR OF HOPE’
It has been a desire of mine to ride my bicycle from my home in Ohio to my family lake house in Michigan… about 425 miles. In the past I was so overweight and obese that this type of adventure wasn’t possible. After losing 200 pounds from my 400 pound frame, I am now able to undertake vigorous activities such as long-distance bike riding. Therefore, I have decided that my long-held wish to ride my bike from my Westerville, Ohio home to my Gaylord, Michigan lake house has now become my goal – soon my plan, and on July 29th through August 5th will become my reality.
I am so very grateful that I had the resources to pay for my RNY gastric bypass, a tool that I have successfully used to lose over 200 pounds and maintain a healthy lifestyle for the last five and a half years. As a means of sharing my gratitude, I am dedicating my ride to the WLSFA.org and will be asking for financial donations. The ride will be live-streamed on the Internet and documented on all my social media. I will secure sponsors and ask them to promote the ride and fundraiser through their social media. The ride will be promoted to local press and press along the route.
Who Wants to Ride With Me?
Anybody and everybody – WLS or non-WLS – is welcome to join me for all or any part of the ride. All I ask is that you promote the ride on your social media and help raise awareness of the obesity epidemic and the WLSFA.
Who wants to be a Sponsor?
If you are interested in becoming a sponsor of the Tour of Hope, please contact me at bill@whs-newlife.com
Red circles are the stops we will make! South to North
Agenda/itinerary for the Westerville, Ohio to Gaylord, Michigan bike ride. Eight days, 426 miles.
Fri July 29 Day 1 – Westerville, OH to Bucyrus, OH. 53 miles. Motel? Still looking for a campground, etc.
Sat July 30 Day 2 – Bucyrus, OH to Van Buren, OH. 50 miles. Camp at Van Buren State Park.
Sun July 31 Day 3 – Van Buren, OH to Petersburg, MI. 59 miles. Camp at Totem Pole Pk Petersburg Junc.
Mon Aug 1 Day 4 – Petersburg, MI to Pinckney, MI. 46 miles. Camp at Pinckney Sate Park.
Tue Aug 2 Day 5 – Pinckney, MI to Ovid, MI. 58 miles. Camp at Sleepy Hollow State Park.
Wed Aug 3 Day 6 – Ovid, MI to Mt Pleasant, MI. 56 miles. Motel? Still looking for a campground, etc.
Thu Aug 4 Day 7 – Mt Pleasant, MI to Houghton Lk, MI. 53 miles. Camp at Houghton Lake Campground.
Fri Aug 5 Day 8 – Houghton Lake, MI to Gaylord, MI. 51 miles. Lake House/Motel in Gaylord.
Sat Aug 6 and Sun Aug 7 – spend the weekend at the lake house.
Let me know if you are interested in some or all of the ride/weekend in Gaylord.
Hello. Your God sent angels ,
There’s nothing that stands out about me above anyone else . Except my dream , as a child about nine years old i was teased and bullied a lot for years and became very introverted .But I believed in magic . Miracles . I guess you’d say. If only I could figure out how to do it . I believed if I wished hard enough you could just switch bodies your feelings your heart and soul. Everything was just the same you just looked different. I’d think on that a lot trying to figure it out . As I grew older I let go of my Fantasy.
I lost weight and came out of my shell . But my time in the shadows taught me understanding of people , compassion. Guess in a way it prepared me for my future . My first born son got schizophrenia. And everything I’d learned gave me strength and understanding to cope and be his rock . To carry his pain the best I could . He bacame very over weight with all his meds but his heart was the biggest part about him . There was never a day that I was ashamed of him . No matter how off the wall he acted. Sometimes he could be really mean but later he’d say momma I had to be mean somewhere and I knew you’d help me and still love me . I’m sorry momma . He thought I could do anything. Never have I ever doubted his love. . He was my biggest fan every Saturday I’d drive hour and a half to his residential care home he lived at and we’d spend the day together, driving around ,lunch and garage sales mostly . One day he picked out a beautiful leather jacket . He wanted it for me more than anything. So we got it. I’ve never been able to put it on as much as I tried and wished . It’s way to small. It hangs in my closet . Though the years I’d put back on weight and tried and tried to loss it . I was ready to believe the in my childhood dream again I’d figured out that gastric surgery was tha perfect answer. Then I found out my insurance doesn’t cover it even though I’ve had a hip replacement and the other one is getting worse have back problems reflux , pre diabetic and in pain a lot . Arthritis etc just recovered from neck surgery and 3 months in a hard collar not very mobile I gained 15 more pounds . I still believe I have to believe because my son believed in me that someday I’d wear that beautiful jacket . I can’t afford the pay for surgery and no help from insurance. They won’t cover it . Please if you can find away to help me I just want wear the jacket , feel better with weight off and make my son proud as he looks down on me from heaven.