Georgia Chain Gang

The 2012 Georgia Chain Gang: Lee Amlicke, Joe Daniels, Jane Eastham, Frank Fuerst, Tony Myers, David Payne, Jerome Rossetti and Lisa Wilson

Lee Amlicke

One of Lee’s great joys is messing around with bikes.  Either recreationally or competitively he’s ridden bikes almost as long as he’s walked. Each time he’s on the bike he has the same feeling he had as a kid to see what is around the next bend or over the next hill.  Current obsession has been mountain biking on the trails around north Georgia or the track at Dick Lane Velodrome.

Although a native Mississippian, Lee grew up in Montgomery, AL and is a graduate of Auburn University.  At Auburn, Lee met his wife and all-time hero, Amy.  The two have enjoyed looking for the next adventure and in 2007 completed Ironman Couer d’ Alene.  With Amy also crewing for the Georgia Chain Gang, RAAM is their next big event.

Originally joining The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training as on opportunity to one-up his wife who participated in the previous year.  For Lee that grew from being a participant, to a mentor, to a GTS coordinator, and on to a coach.  It has been extremely rewarding to help guide the great people coming into the Team In Training program on to successful completion of their events.

Now Lee is very honored to have the opportunity to join in with the Georgia Chain Gang, complete an incredible athletic achievement, and more importantly help find a cure for blood cancers.

Joe Daniels

Joe has been hooked on travel and adventure since he was a kid.  He grew up in Atlanta looking for new adventures whether on a bike, a motorcycle, skis or other.  As an adult, he returned to biking as part of an adventure racing addiction and was soon smitten with the cycling bug.

He and his teammates were fortunate enough to participate in numerous expedition length adventure races including Eco-Challenge, Primal Quests and the Adventure Racing World Championships.  Individually, Joe has completed half and full length marathons as well multi-distance triathlons.  Fittingly, his first endurance event was training with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team-in-Training for the 1996 Big Sur Marathon.

Today he is inspired by those in the fight and LLS’s continued focus on awareness and fund raising.  With both family and friends in current battles against cancer, he is dedicating his ride to their will to survive.

Off the bike, Joe favors his time with his wife Amy and their three daughters Palmer, Bryce & Macy.  You can find them on a porch or near a lake as often as possible. There may be a dog or two around as well.

Jane Eastham

Jane’s interest in road cycling began in 2004 when she first joined The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training (TNT) program as a participant in the America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride at Lake Tahoe. Having always been a casual runner, she wanted to do something different. TNT provided the opportunity to support a cause near and dear to her, having lost both a young cousin and her grandfather to blood cancers. Since then, she has participated in 30 Team In Training events, including cycling centuries, full and half marathons, and triathlons) and raised over $100,000 to help in researching cures for these diseases.

One of Jane’s greatest adventures was a 2008 cycling trip that followed the final week of the Tour de France. Following each stage and then personally riding up the Alpe d’Huez and the Col de Galibier increased her appreciation for the training and endurance required to ride day after day for thousands of miles.  In 2010, Jane acted as Crew Chief for the Georgia Chain Gang and is looking forward to participating as a rider this year.  In 2011 Jane completed her first full Ironman triathlon in Tempe, Arizona with TNT as part of the LLS Georgia Chapter’s inaugural “IronTeam” and is already excited for next year’s event with TNT at Ironman Coeur d’Alene.

A native of Indianapolis and a graduate of Purdue University, Jane has lived in the Atlanta area for the last 11 years. She has worked for Kimberly-Clark Corp. for over 20 years in a variety of supply chain management roles.

Jane personally believes that finding a cure for blood cancers will eventually lead to advancements in the cure for all cancers. Her mission is to continue fundraising and being actively involved in Team in Training until that day arrives. “I participate in memory of my niece, Lara, who lost her battle against Leukemia at age 15, and in honor of my mom, who has beaten cancer twice, as well as many other family members, friends and acquaintances, who are always in my heart and never far away in thought.”

Frank Fuerst

Frank is a lifelong cyclist and endurance athlete. A long time runner and triathlete, Frank has concentrated on long distance cycling for the last five years.

He has completed some of the most challenging one-day endurance events, including the Assault on Mt. Mitchell, Triple Bypass and the Death Valley Double Century. In 2011 he completed another cycling milestone when he road the Mt. Washington Auto Road Hill Climb, the toughest bicycle climb in the world.

Frank was on the crew during the GCG’s 2009 RAAM competition and raced as a rider on the 2010 4-man team. He is looking forward to competing as a rider in 2012.

Frank has made his home in Georgia for the last 27 years, where he and his wife Karen have raised their two daughters, Marissa and Adrienne. He is the co-founder and CEO of B2B Technologies, an IT Professional Services company. Frank has an Engineering degree from Brown University and an MBA from Georgia Tech.

Tony Myers

Tony Myers is a certified triathlon and cycling coach and owner of Athletic Training Services LLC in Atlanta/Buckhead, GA. Tony has a long history of endurance athletics, with cycling competition dating back to the mid-seventies and running and triathlon competition starting in the early eighties.

Tony has logged several hundred thousand miles on the bicycle and completed such events as The Assault on Mt. Mitchell (10 times), The Mt. Washington Climb and many well known extreme century rides and high mileage endurance rides including Brevets and double centuries. Tony has completed three Ironman events and numerous half iron-distance events as well.

After spending 25 years in the engineering and design-build construction world while training and coaching, Tony finally quit his career path and started Athletic Training Services (ATS) with the support of his wife Nancy.  ATS and all its endeavors are a passion for Tony and Nancy; it’s about the athletes and THE COMMUNITY…

Tony and Athletic Training Services are long time supporters of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training athletes, offering special coaching, testing and training rates to TNT fund raisers since the formation of Athletic Training Services in 2003. As a coach Tony has worked with over 100 half-iron and iron distance triathletes, many of them originally TnT fund raisers. Tony is also a recipient of the YMCA Volunteer of the Year award for metro-Atlanta in 1999 and selected as a bronze/silver medal winner for top endurance athlete coach in Atlanta for the last four years. He will be training the Georgia Chain Gang for the 2012 RAAM and participating himself for the third time.

David Payne

Dave first participated with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training in 1999.  Since then he and his wife have continued to train, coach, and raise money to help The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society defeat blood cancers.  Although Dave didn’t have a personal connection to blood cancer victims when he started, over the last 10 years he has met many patients, survivors, and families that have been affected by these cancers.  He truly appreciates the day to day difference that the money raised makes in these peoples life.

As a crew member for the Georgia Chain Gang in 2010, Dave learned valuable experience that will pay dividends this year as a rider.  With many years of experience in professional and amateur motorsports and over seven years of experience coaching and training, Dave believes he has the skill set’s required for RAAM and is excited to be a rider with the Georgia Chain Gang this year.

Dave, his wife Elaine, and their 2 kids have been in the metro Atlanta area for the last 23 years. He studied mechanical engineering at Southern Polytechnic University in Marietta, GA, is a USA Cycling certified level 2 coach, and a Team In Training certified cycle coach.  He is project manager at Brink’s Engineering in Marietta. Follow Dave’s blog as he writes about his training and competing with the Georgia Chain Gang: http://ridemetal.blogspot.com/.

Jerome Rossetti

Jerome has been cycling on and off since 1982.  He has competed in various cycling races and events through out the Southeast.  He is an avid endurance cyclist and is enthusiastic about the RAAM race.

He is excited about the opportunity that The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training (TNT) gave the team.  The goal of the team is to help TNT raise money and awareness for the cure of blood cancers.

Jerome grew up in the Atlanta area and attended Woodward Academy where he graduated in 1981.  While at Woodward he was co-captain of the 1980 state championship football team.  He made all state and was selected to play on the GACA All-Star team.

He then attended the University of Georgia and graduated with a B.S. degree in Agricultural Economics.  While at UGA he played on the 1981-82 Georgia Bulldogs football team.  They won the Southeastern Conference Championship that year.  Jerome had a career ending knee injury spring of his freshman year and retired from football.  He then took up cycling to help his rehabilitation.

He is a home builder and developer and prides himself on building eco-friendly “green” homes.  Jerome is a partner in a custom home building company in Atlanta, Georgia.  He is married with three kids in Atlanta.

Lisa Wilson

They say Race Across America is the toughest endurance race in the world. After watching her beloved grandfather fight and lose a vicious battle against Leukemia when he was just 63, Lisa wonders if that’s really true – and is honored to be tackling RAAM with the Georgia Chain Gang to help find a cure for a devastating disease that causes pain and loss that no one should have to endure.

Lisa originally got into cycling 10 years ago at the advice of her orthopedic surgeon who told her some “light spinning” would be good rehab after knee surgery from too much running. “Light spinning” turned into a lifelong passion – and in recent years alongside her buddies at ATS, tackling the toughest centuries in the Southeast has become a standing weekend activity.

A five-time Ironman, Lisa is so privileged to be participating in RAAM to benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society – and believes that if the funds raised by the Georgia Chain Gang help get even one step closer to a cure so that no family has to experience the loss that hers did 25 years ago, every pedal stroke will be worth it.

A North Carolina native and UNC graduate, Lisa has called Atlanta home for more than 20 years. A marketing strategist, she currently works with Hothouse – a marketing and promotions company that ideates and executes custom solutions for top companies in the sports and cable industries.