LOTOJA and Sunflowers

How Goldie gave new purpose to a race I thought I had already left behind

Goldie and me — full of joy, laughter, and the kind of friendship that changes you forever.

LOTOJA is a 200+ mile race from Logan, Utah, to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. It is such a popular event that participation is capped, and many riders are turned away through the lottery system. One of the most meaningful parts of LOTOJA is its connection to fundraising for the Huntsman Foundation, helping support cancer research and development.

For many years, LOTOJA was one of my main races. In fact, in 2025, I received my 10-year plaque. Before 2019, I raced in the Women’s Category 1-2-3 and won five different years. I had decided that was enough and planned to “retire,” whatever that means.

But in 2019, something changed.

My friendship with Goldie changed everything.

By then, we had been close for almost a year and by this time she had her diagnosis for a year. I needed a renewed focus, and what better way than to return to an event that supports cancer research and the very hospital that had helped my friend Goldie? I committed to racing again, this time with a deeper purpose.

That race meant more to me than any race before it. The entire day, I thought about Goldie and all she had been through. I hoped somehow that my effort, my grit, and my determination would honor her and propel her toward another victory in her own fight.

I wish I could say I had an amazing result, but I finished fourth. Not bad out of around 30 riders, but I still remember watching the three women I had been with pull away from me on the first climb. I was not ready, and I could not respond. I ended up riding solo for more than 130 miles. By the end of that race, I felt defeated. I thought I had no business being there.

I even thought, I failed her.

But I was wrong.

I had not failed her. My heart had been in the right place, but I had not prepared. And over time, I came to understand something more important: Goldie was never asking me for perfection.

She gave me purpose.

Two years after Goldie’s death, I had a change of heart. I needed a real goal to pull me out of the rut I had been in. The last month and a half of Goldie’s life had been physically and emotionally draining. A few days after Christmas, she suffered a hard fall because she could no longer walk. The tumors had metastasized to her spine. That led to another surgery, and eventually she came home, where she would spend the rest of her days.

I was with her almost daily, and during that time we had many conversations. One of those conversations was about my rides and my experiences at LOTOJA.

I would describe how hard it is to get up Strawberry Pass, the first major climb of the race. I would tell her about the feeling of reaching Salt Pass, the highest point on the course, and then flying downhill into Afton with beautiful views of ranches and mountain ranges all around. I told her about the canyon carved out by the Snake River, and how the river takes on this stunning emerald-green color. And finally, I described riding into the majestic Teton mountain range.

She soaked it all in.

But I think her favorite part was always the sunflowers.

Goldie loved sunflowers. This time of year, they are abundant and scattered all over the course. Every time I see a sunflower, I think of her.

In 2023, as I drove to Logan for the race, they were everywhere. It was as if Goldie herself had laid out a path of them just for me. In that moment, I knew she was with me. I felt her presence, and I felt purpose again.

That year, I came in with the lead group and finished second by inches, winning my age group. Goldie gave me purpose in a way I will never forget. She changed my perspective. I no longer take for granted what I can do. Every day, I am grateful for my health and for the opportunities I still have.

So what do LOTOJA, sunflowers, Goldie, and Golden Moments have to do with one another?

Everything.

Golden Moments has given me purpose beyond the race itself. Riding for Goldie changed the way I see this event. LOTOJA can be more than a race. It can be a chance to ride with purpose and to help create meaningful moments for families facing cancer.

That is why, beginning with LOTOJA 2026, we are launching a campaign to raise funds for Golden Moments. Through this fundraiser, participants and supporters will have an opportunity to be part of something bigger than the miles.

By donating to Golden Moments, you help create important moments for families enduring the trials of cancer. Those moments might be a birthday party, a Christmas celebration, tickets to a special event, or an elegant dinner shared together. The possibilities are endless, but the impact is lasting.

A donation of $10 or more will receive a golden wristband featuring the Golden Moments logo.

100% of all funds will directly go to the Huntsman Foundation.

And that brings us back to purpose.

When you wear that band across the course, you carry more than a symbol. You carry hope. You carry love. You carry the chance to give a family something more precious than gold: a moment they will cherish for the rest of their lives.

Now that is something worth riding for.

Ride for the Moments!