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Hi, I’m not sure if this is worthy of a story or not, but a family member urged me to write it and submit it. The purpose is to share my passion and expose my poison in hope that it will inspire others to action. David Capell If you wish to contribute comments or photos on a BMXer, contact the webmaster and we will post it.

David Capell  50+ Cruiser class. Augusta GA.

Passion and Poison                                        (posted January 2010)   I’m 53 years old and one of my worldly passions is BMX racing. I started racing bicycles at the age of 50 with my then 6 and 7-year-old boys and just completed the Georgia State Championship Series for the third time as the number-one plate holder in the 50+-cruiser class. Not a huge accomplishment but it sure was fun! I also have prostate cancer – my poison. I found out I had prostate cancer during my second season of BMX racing. We actually got the call from the doctor while my wife and I were on our 32nd wedding anniversary at Hilton Head, SC. I had gone through the usual diagnostic tests that revealed I had a high-grade cancer that seemed to be confined to the prostate. I elected to have da Vinci robotic surgery during July 2008 to remove the cancerous prostate by a very good Atlanta-based surgeon and MCG graduate, Dr. Scott Miller. This was an excellent experience and I was back on the bike and racing BMX in a matter of weeks. Unfortunately my prostate specific antigen (PSA) count, a prime prostate cancer indicator, never went to zero and continued to rise after surgery. This prompted additional tests that still did not reveal any spreading of the disease and the decision was made to do salvage radiation treatment this spring to the area where the prostate once resided. I continued daily exercise and bicycle riding during radiation treatments as well as competed in local and state BMX races and never experienced any noticeable side effects from the radiation. BMX racing and bicycle riding in general are awesome family activities! One may question why at the age of 50 I would take up what some consider is an extreme sport. It happened quite innocently as I was shopping for Christmas bicycles for our two youngest sons. They had never ridden a bicycle and I reasoned that starting on a lightweight BMX racing bike would be better than a typical heavy department store bike. In my Internet research I found that Augusta had a BMX track and organization. I e-mailed the club contact and asked for their recommendation about bicycle specifications. In the exchange, they suggested bringing the boys to the track near Lake Olmstead to try out a bike and pick up some literature. We passed on the test ride since they did not know how to ride a bike but did visit the track and met some great folks. Then the hook, when they mentioned the boys could compete at their own level and the National Bicycle League (NBL), which sanctions the Georgia and Augusta organizations, even had a class for old guys like me. I took the bait and we were racing by February 2007. Three months after spring 2009 radiation treatments my PSA was still on the rise. Not a good sign and a probable indicator that the cancer had already spread outside the prostate. Even though the cancer is now at a stage that is usually not medically curable I am not without hope or treatment options. Current conventional treatments can suspend and hold prostate cancer at bay for years and we are currently weighing our options. I only have one regret: waiting until my 50's to start routine PSA blood screenings. A simple blood test in my 40’s could have avoided or provided an antidote for my poison. Dr. Scott Miller founded an organization in Atlanta called ProstAware, (“Prostate cancer awareness through music and technology”). Here are a few Prostate cancer facts from ProstAware 'ALL' men and their families need to be aware of: Prostate cancer currently affects the lives of millions of American men and their loved ones. Each year in the United States, almost 200,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer and over 25,000 die of this disease. These numbers rival those for breast cancer in women, yet education lags far behind. The American Urological Association recommends the following screening for the prostate: • All men should begin screening at age 40. • Screening includes a simple PSA blood test and perhaps a digital rectal exam. • Screening should be performed yearly. The goal is to detect prostate cancer prior to development of any symptoms. However, you should alert your physician if any of the following symptoms occur: • Slow or frequent urinary stream • Painful urination • Blood in the urine • Pain or blood with ejaculation Risk factors for prostate cancer include the following: • Family history of prostate cancer • African-American race • Increasing age One regret I don’t have is our family’s involvement in BMX. It has been a great sport for our boys and myself. There are not too many organized sports that parents can participate with their children. Our whole family has BMX bikes and we regularly ride them. My wife and I use to struggle with finding an exercise regime that we could do together, that was fun and would fit with our schedule. We now ride our single-speed bicycles almost daily, this promotes health and strengthens our relationship. The BMX racing passion drives me to stay active and exercise. It has most certainly helped me in my battle with cancer and will continue to do so. It is one of the essential Vitamin F’s that I prescribe: Vitamin F1 – ‘Faith’ in Jesus Christ, who is my Lord and Savior. Ultimately all healing comes from Him. Recently, Pastor Bowen, the senior pastor at New Hope Worship Center, preached on the different levels of healing that include the amazing qualities God has created in our bodies; the knowledge and understanding he has given physicians, researchers and the medical/health community; and certainly not least, the supernatural healing qualities of God Himself. I’m counting on Vitamin F1. Vitamin F2 – ‘Family’ is an essential element for healthy growth and development. My wife continues to be a source of encouragement and sacrifice for me. She shares in my victories and strengthens me in my weakness. My oldest son (23 years old) is a blessing and we enjoy many shared interests. The little ones are full of energy and bring constant life to a couple that should be peeking at retirement by now. ‘Friends’ are also an element of F2 and whether at work or at play offer inspiration in their own beliefs, interests, struggles and successes. Vitamin F3 – ‘Fitness’ is a key to good health no matter what your age or condition. BMX has been a driving force in making me a fitter 50 than I was at 40. Find something you like and pursue it for better health. Get on a lifelong healthy diet that just makes good sense. None of us can plead ignorance in this age of information – so don’t be stupid! Vitamin F4 – ‘Fun’ makes it all worthwhile. Whether an infusion of F1, F2 or F3 the fun element makes it better. I exercise because I want to be in better shape for BMX. BMX is fun! I exercise because I want to be in better shape to ward off my poison. Life is fun! Those annoying neighborhood hills that my wife and I wouldn’t ride in our younger years are now fun to us. When my oldest son and I play disc golf we run for the fun of it. You can play more holes in the same amount of time and it helps you feel better. Have fun! My father died of prostate cancer at the age of 81 about 17 years ago. Since then my father-in-law had been telling me to get my PSA checked all through my 40’s. I didn’t do it, but my sons will at an early age. Men, especially high-risk men, get your simple PSA blood test regularly. Families, make them do it! A few last words about my passion, last year I met a man at the Augusta BMX track who had a couple of autistic boys. He had been told that BMX was a good fit for an autistic child and was regularly bringing them to the track for practice. He had told them when they could ride the track in less than a minute that he would sign them up for a membership and allow them to race. At that point they were way over the one-minute mark. On October 10th, Augusta BMX began their Fall Series and there they were ready to race. One of the boys had even gotten a new BMX racing bike because he had broken a lap time of 55 seconds. Another 'old guy' on the Georgia BMX circuit incurred a brain injury a few years ago and basically was sitting at home, depressed and waiting to die. His family got involved in BMX racing and he is now an avid participant inspite of other health issues. He told me at the state championship that involvement in BMX literally saved his life. Perhaps BMX racing would be a nice fit for you and your family. David Capell Martinez, Ga.