If you're visiting this page, it already shows me you care! You probably already know I'm Sarah and I'm going to do a big bike ride this June in memory of my brother, Brian! You also probably know that suicide took him from me in 1997. He was the young age of 17 when he thought the world was already too much on his shoulders. It took me many years to let go and cry and grieve my brother's loss. Once I opened up and admitted I was devastated by not only what I went through, and watching my parents going through the loss, but what Brian had gone through to get to that point, I was ready to take action and be an advocate for anyone going through losing someone to suicide, or having suicidal thoughts.

I came up with this idea over time, as I realized that everyone goes through pain, whether it's physical or emotional. When I would run/bike/exercise, I would imagine the pain in my legs and try to compare the pain to the emotional pain my brother had gone through. I'd ask myself, is this the pain level measured in emotional pain he felt? What if I went another mile, how could I measure that in emotional pain if it were to convert? Of course we can't convert it over and measure it, but I would push through that mile and find strength in my brother's immeasurable pain. I would imagine the pain I felt, was me taking away some of the emotional pain he went through and it kept me going. It's weird what you think up while out on a run! :) I've accomplished some running goals in life, and decided to switch it up and make a goal to ride my bike across the state of MT. This was a huge idea, considering I've only ridden my bike to work and back, lol.

So here I am, planning my 678 mile bike ride. I bought a new touring bike, and I've got the map and dates figured out and now I need your support! I'm going to donate all of the money raised to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), with 50% of it going directly to the Montana Chapter of AFSP. More on where exactly the funds go can be found at www.afsp.org or you can visit my facebook page and I'll chat a little bit of it there too! I'm asking for support by donating a flat dollar amount, or a dollar amount per mile I ride- talk about motivation!

I like quotes and they get me through my days sometimes. A few of my favorites:

"If your dreams don't scare you, they aren't big enough." -Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

"If you can't excel with talent, triumph with effort." -Dave Weinbaum

"Oh yes I can, watch me." -Sarah Schindler

Thank you for reading my story and I thank you for helping a sister out- Brian's sister! I also thank you for being there for your loved ones in their times of need, whether they've lost someone to suicide, having suicidal thoughts, or have a loved one with suicidal thoughts. To learn more about warning signs to look for and how to help, please visit www.afsp.org or call 1 (800) 273-8255.