Rich is always trying new things. And in this one, you will get to listen to him!

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We decided to try something new for the third FREEDOM TOUR.

The first 2 years were 500-mile tours. 2015 was the first year we added a one-day ride. A bunch of people signed up – and I wasn’t there!

The previous fall, I saw an online invitation to submit applications for a local TED event. TED Talks feature experts on a wide variety of topics under their subtitle: Ideas Change Everything. Local events bring communities together in a similar but more intimate format.

I figured I’d throw something together – no way I would get picked – and sort of forgot about it. I made the first cut in December, and then, to my amazement, my proposal was accepted. Of course, the date coincided with our one-day ride.

I was prepared to back out, but everyone seemed to think a TED Talk was a great opportunity to share our story. So I just had to bite the bullet and accept that perhaps I wasn’t indispensable.

TED was an interesting experience. Lots of high-quality mentoring from experienced public speakers, and a bit of stress, speaking note-free under a STRICT time limit.

Here’s the final product. I hope you enjoy it.