Riding For Sam

On February 16th, 2021 Sam Schneider lost his battle with Ewing sarcoma, just a few weeks before his 21st birthday. Sam was one of us. 

Not gonna lie, this one was absolutely gut-wrenching for me. For such a vibrant and positive person to lose his life at such a young age just doesn't seem fair. Take me next time, I've had a good run. Making this edit broke me, but it is nothing compared to the pain that Sam's family, friends, and the cycling community have had to deal with on a daily basis. ​

Sam was one of us. His passion was for riding bikes above all else. He loved to race and actually won the last race that he was able to enter in Crested Butte. Sam worked for Yeti at the time he was diagnosed with cancer. Ewing sarcoma is a rare from of childhood cancer, mostly affecting children and teens, under the age of 19. Between 200-300 kids lose their lives to this debilitating disease each year in the U.S. Little funding is dedicated to research currently. 

Sam's wishes before passing were to simply help raise awareness and funding for Ewing sarcoma research. To help other children that may be suffering from this rare cancer. Sam put that before himself. That was the type of person he was. Sam's family created the Sam Schneider Legacy Fund, that raises funding and awareness for childhood cancer research. If you want to help, GO HERE 

I had the honor of filming this FollowCamFriday episode with Sam's younger brother Jay Schneider and Sam's  MTB coach Clancy Ryburn. We chose a trail at Three Sisters in Evergreen, Colorado that Sam and Jay had ridden together numerous times over the years. This was one of Sam's favorite bits. While I had never ridden with Sam, Jay's style on the bike was next-level, and I can only imagine how much those two must have fed off of each other while riding and having fun together. That bond can never be replaced, but hopefully Jay can keep having fun and riding with passion. 

Like I was saying, Jay absolutely shreds. First time I have ever seen a mid trail, crank-flip at speed. I have seen a thing or two and this blew my mind. What a legend. Keep sending lad!

“Don’t lollygag around with what you want to do.You gotta get it done, cause you never know what’s going to happen.
Always be thankful for what you’re doing and that you’re able to do it.
Spend your time doing what you love and cherish the time you have with those you love.”
- Sam Schneider

Sam had the idea to make the yellow jersey and send them to some of his favorite athletes to film in, to help tell the story. You can check out the backstory over at Yeti Cycles.com. You can purchase a yellow jersey HERE to show some support. All of the proceeds go the The Sam Schneider Legacy Fund. 

Ride in Peace Sam. You are missed.