Cory's Story

Patient Story

My journey with IBD began in 2008 when I was 20 years old and hospitalized with ulcerative colitis. It was a moment in time that put my life and career on hold. In a blink of an eye, I went from fighting to win bike races to fighting for my health.

“I was at a bike race”, is a sentence which has come to define my journey in a sport for over half my life. An identity wrapped in a sport that started simply as a childhood hobby, and eventually led to a professional racing career which has taken me around the world. So many things in my life have transpired at bike races. A journey full of laughter, hardships, successes, you name it I have experienced it in some way shape or form at a bike race. So, in a way, it is somewhat fitting that my first experience with IBD was also at a bike race.

After my hospitalization, I vowed that I would do everything in my power to overcome IBD and continue against the odds to become a professional cyclist. I set out to learn everything I could to educate myself about my disease. It took a lot of time and research to figure out the best plan of action for me, but I attacked it like I would attack a bike race—preparing myself the best I could to achieve my new finish line of remission. Now eight years after laying in that hospital bed unsure of my future, I have been able to achieve remission and my goal of reaching professional cycling.

Since that time, I have turned my attention to using cycling as a way to support those with IBD by merging professional cycling and IBD awareness together. A merger of two worlds that brings the hope, education and inspiration that the IBD community desperately needs through the global impact of professional cycling events. I have become passionate in helping other patients and I want to inspire others to not be afraid to ask the tough questions that allows you to focus on being the person you want to be. That’s how I found the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation and became involved with their spin4 crohn’s & colitis cures program – attending the indoor cycling event in Los Angeles and sharing my story with the riders there.

Now I want to bring together people from all around the world to ride together, raise awareness of IBD, and finally create the change needed to make this disease a thing of the past.