Chuck Keels found it in Italy. And some. The Stage 4 Cancer Survivor from Arizona was off to Italy for a great adventure. Rest assured, adventure happened. However, it was not as he or anyone else imagined.

Once you learn even a little about the life of this extraordinary guy, you will find his life is loaded with surprises. Chuck’s latest chapter is a doozy. So is the unpredictable story behind the making of this episode in an effort to help him. But one surprise at a time. One challenge at a time, too.

Brace yourself. You might want a helmet as you go along for the ride.

Wild Ride of Chuck Keels

It was no accident he planned the 900-kilometer bike ride for 3 or 4 months. This is because an event of this magnitude requires preparation. Lots of preparation in fact, along with imagination, and motivation. The chosen course was designed to explore the beautiful east coast of Italy from top to bottom along the Adriatic Sea. From start to finish, the timeline was 12 days.

The mission of the trip was even more beautiful than the setting. That’s because the goal was to raise funding and awareness for the Living Hope Cancer Foundation. It is a nonprofit organization founded by Chuck and his late wife, Hannah Keels. With an awesome motto of “Get Up and Live,” the purpose is providing invaluable love and support to cancer patients and their loved ones.

Originally, as many as 14 were going to participate in the ride. But you know how that goes. Only 3 began the ride. None of them finished.

Adversity in Italy

Chuck Keels went seeking adventure in Italy. Yet he also found adversity along the way. When you work with cancer patients on a daily basis, you know adversity all too well. Think about it. You cannot “get up” and live if you are not down in some way.

But that doesn’t mean this story is a total downer. It is not. Far from it. The story shared in Episode 4 of the new podcast, Binge with Baldrick is about the power of the human spirit, especially in the face of adversity. It includes host Thomas Baldrick, who set out to share the story of a friend, but wound up falling into adversity himself.