Published: April 20, 2008 10:48 pm            

Q&A: Soldier rides for a cure

Having served as a member of United States Central Command, U.S. Army Lt. Col. Craig Maefs briefed many high-ranking diplomats on goings on in Afghanistan.

As important as that work was, it coincided with an effort that hits closer to home — raising money to find a cure for diabetes, a disease that has severely affected his 25-year-old son.

Maefs, who is now retired from the Army, was deployed to Afghanistan in May 2006 to train the Afghan police force before returning home to the Town of Tonawanda the following May. Maefs’ deployment in 2006 didn’t thwart his ability to ride in the Tour de Cure, a cycling event that raises money for the American Diabetes Association.

Instead, Maefs rode a bike on his Army base in Afghanistan and rode the 62.5 mile distance shortly after returning home last May. He now serves on the Tour de Cure Planning Committee, helping to map out the race course. With his participation in the upcoming Tour de Cure — scheduled for May 31 — Maefs, who cycles with Northrop Grumman, has raised more than $5,000.

The News spoke with Maefs about his involvement in the Tour de Cure for this week’s Question & Answer.

QUESTION: How long have you been involved in the Tour de Cure and what’s your motivation for it?

ANSWER: I’ve been involved for probably five or six years. My son (Matthew) has Type 1 diabetes. That was the original motivation for getting involved.

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Q: How has the disease affected your son’s life?

A: He’s had diabetes for a little over 10 years. He had a real tough time in the beginning. He was diagnosed late. He was into some pretty severe physical conditions when they finally diagnosed him. He’s had secondary effects of osteoporosis, asthma, thyroid condition, that have come secondarily to the disease, and he’s struggled with it.

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Q: Describe your Afghanistan Tour de Cure.

A: I was on a really dinky 14 acre base and there were only a couple of guys who had bikes there. Most of the bikes in Afghanistan are Chinese pigeon bikes. They’re like tanks. They kind of need to be over there because the roads are so terrible. Starting at Fort Benning just before I shipped, I did about 40 miles on a rented dirt bike and then did the rest in Afghanistan with borrowed bikes.

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Q: Who are some of your biggest supporters?

A: I have seven or eight retired generals, a couple active duty generals, a bunch of active duty colonels all the way down to a Navy yeoman who contribute. All services, all branches, all components. They’re some of the most generous people you’ll ever meet.

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Q: What will this year’s Tour de Cure be like?

A: This year we’ve got all new routes. The tour is different than it’s ever been before. We’re much more scenic, covering much different territory than we ever have. There’s a 6 mile, 16 mile, 24 mile, 62.5 mile and 100 mile route. It’s built for the casual rider, the family with kids that just might want do a more moderate route based on their abilities. We try and have a route for any ability.

More information on this year’s Tour de Cure is available at www.buffalotourdecure.org or by calling Rebecca Donoghue at 835-0274, ext. 3705.

Contact reporter David J. Hill at 693-1000, ext. 115.

        

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