The King Challenge represents the positivity of family, place, and community. Read why UnTapped co-founder Ted King is eager for this beautiful fall ride.
Once summer is officially in the rearview mirror, cyclists look to wind things down into the fall. It was a previous chapter of my life in which I helped establish the King Challenge, a benefit ride that helps adults living with brain injury. I was a World Tour cyclist at the time, largely based in Europe and we were backed into a corner in terms of choosing a time of year to host the event. It needed to be after my road season had wrapped up so that we were safe from the team making a last-minute call for me to head off to an autumn race.
It’s a fringe benefit, however, that fall in New England is arguably the finest time of year to host a ride. Humidity is a thing of the past; temperatures in mid-October can be a touch chilly in the morning, then quickly warm up with the morning sun. Oh, the foliage, though! It’s the mosaic painting of colorful fall leaves lining the course that really is the crown jewel. There’s something almost ethereal about this snapshot of time and place; every year we want to bottle up the feeling after another successful King Challenge and help remember it for the next 365 days.
My father suffered a stroke just as I was dipping my toe into cycling. Growing up, he was my role model and foundation of our family. It’s hard to believe that fateful day was more than twenty years ago, because I can close my eyes and relive fond memories of his guidance, support, and love for me like it was yesterday. Now as a parent of two young kids myself, I try to model much of my parenting on how he raised my brother and me. The King Challenge ride is a benefit for the Krempels Brain Injury Center, of which he was a long standing member.
We’re now zeroing in on our fourteenth King Challenge, October 12 this year. In addition to celebrating fall in New England, we created this ride to help bring together the innumerable people who supported my pursuit of professional cycling. People, place, and community are such a foundational part of who I am. I’m grateful for the upbringing I had and really aim to say thank you to those who supported me along the way with this ride.
2024 marks my final year at the helm of the King Challenge. My partner in this endeavor, Arlon Chaffee, and I are proud of the work we’ve done to develop and expand this ride over the years. Almost a decade and a half after the inaugural event, we’re now both at places in our lives that require us to step away. We’re confident in the KBIC as they take the reins for the King Challenge into the future, so we’re planning and hoping for an incredible last year here in 2024 with our leadership.
I’m thankful for the UnTapped team who has long flown the plaid flag at the event. With kids recently back to school and soaking in the final spectacular days of fall, Saturdays in October are precious. I’m incredibly grateful to have my friends at UnTapped support with nutritious, delicious maple syrup shuttling riders along the way.