St. Charles doctor makes Pikes Peak summit his goal
In April 2009, Rich Maganini of Glen Ellyn and his family were preparing for a move to Canada for his work. While in the backyard, Maganini suffered a seizure that started in his left thumb, and, after running inside to wash what he thought was a bug bite, he lost consciousness and hit the floor - hard.
After a battery of tests in the ensuing weeks, the 46-year-old Maganini learned that the focal seizure was a minor symptom of a developing malignant grade 3 brain tumor.
A month later, with an outpouring of support from friends, family and his doctors, Maganini successfully underwent surgery to remove the tumor and has been cancer free ever since.
His brother, Robert Maganini, a private practice surgeon and breast cancer specialist with The Cancer Institute at Alexian Brothers Hospital Network at St. Alexius Medical Center in Hoffman Estates, was at Rich's side for his monthlong ordeal of doctor visits and tests leading up to surgery.
On July 30 - and with a nod to his brother - Robert Maganini, 49, will set out on a 1,000-mile bike ride to Pikes Peak in Colorado.
The trek, which he hopes will raise $25,000 for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and the American Brain Tumor Association, has been something Maganini always wanted to do.
"There was this idea I had for some years that I could do something like this to raise money for breast cancer, since I've spent the majority of my career dealing with the problem, and when my brother was diagnosed last year with the brain tumor, that was the final straw," he said.
Maganini, who lives in St. Charles, originally intended to raise money only for the Komen fund but added the brain tumor group in honor of his brother.
"Certain things have all played a role that made him really want to do this, to take on this challenge. (Adding to the original cause) "was something great, something really fantastic," Rich Maganini said.
The top of Pikes Peak has always been the final destination, Robert Maganini said. The mode of transportation in getting to the top, though, has changed.
"Initially, I was going to ride my bike up the toll road, which goes up to the top, but they don't allow bicycles to do that, except if you want to ride from the top down," he said.
"I appealed their ruling, but I don't think it's going to change, so instead I'm just going to hike up the trail," Maganini said. The summit is above 14,000 feet.
Maganini plans to ride his bicycle from St. Charles an average of 100 miles per day, then start his hike to the top of the mountain - all in about 12 days.
He says the support he has received has been fantastic. Earlier this week he was just $1,000 shy of his overall goal.
Maganini will update his blog and Facebook and Twitter accounts daily.
If you are interested in donating to either charity, or to track Maganini's progress, visit bike2thepike.com, twitter.com/bike2thepike, or facebook.com/bike2thepike.
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