The New Year gets many of us thinking about race schedules, fitness regimen and the latest diet trends. If nothing else, the turn of the calendar year can provide an opportunity to reassess the questions of “Why do I train?” and “What keeps me motivated?” For some, the answer might simply be a fierce Type A personality. Others may have the individual desire to keep fit and active. For Ernest Gagnon, a fight for a healthier life – fueled by the time spent together with dedicated cyclist friends – is his answer to that question.

Ernest is a 32 year old software engineer who resides outside of Boston and held aspirations his entire life of becoming a cyclist. Unfortunately for Ernie, it seemed that most of the world didn’t support him in that dream.

About three years ago, he found himself at 570lbs and was not on a bike, but rather in a place where he believed his best option for weight loss was gastric bypass surgery. He enrolled in the pre-surgical support program at Lowell General Hospital and tentatively planned the surgery for the middle of 2010. Gagnon grew frustrated with his lack of progress in the program – crowded weight loss classes and overburdened dietitians who never seemed to have enough time to work with individual patient needs. Most of all, Ernie did not believe that the root of his weight issues was being addressed: depression. He admits that he felt scared to be in public for something as simple as a shopping errand, so the thought of being in a gym for exercise was “out of the question” for him. His struggles with depression and anxiety perpetuated his obesity, and ultimately led to his diagnosis of Type II diabetes in April 2010 at the age of 30.

In fact, when asked about his uber-impressive 200-pound loss since that date, he downplays the weight number and emphasizes the importance of first confronting his emotional struggles. After his official diabetes diagnosis, Ernie decided it was time for a change once and for all. He dropped out of Lowell’s program and forwent the bypass surgery in favor of a more holistic program of diet and fitness. And most importantly, he faced the social demons that hung around him for too long.

In need of advice and a way to break into the cycling community, he harnessed the power of social media and began reaching out to local athletes via facebook.

Two of Ernie's cycling sidekicks, Zach LaBry (left) and Cosmo Catalano (right). Both have been critical components of his success.

Two of those cyclists Gagnon reached out to were Cosmo Catalano and Zach LaBry. Ernie asked Catalano, a 29-year-old web developer from Hartford who’s been “compulsively cycling” since 2001, to join him for a ride almost immediately following their first digital dialogue. Cosmo reached out to of his other cycling pals and soon took Ernie out for his first ride – and he’s been along for Ernie’s journey since. LaBry, a 25-year-old engineering graduate student at MIT and avid cyclist who grew up on a mountain bike, says that he accepted the new friend request because he hoped to follow Ernie’s progress.

Eventually, Zach suggested that Ernie tag along to a cycle-cross race in Canton. Zach recalls that at that first meeting, Ernie “had a lot of trouble working up the nerve to even get out of the car,” but after finally emerging for a face to face chat, the two set up a time to ride shortly after. And as a result of LaBry’s affiliation with MIT’s cycling team, Ernie is a non-racing (due to the required full-time student status) member of the team. Zach says that Ernie’s been welcomed into the group and now joins them regularly for indoor workouts and outdoor rides. Via the web, he was also recruited to join Team Type II, an amateur group affiliated with the impressive Team Type I who is internationally known for raising funds and awareness about the disease.

Behind the guidance of such gurus and his own determination, Ernie has managed to plow through some technical difficulties en route to fulfilling his dream of becoming a cyclist. The first challenge was finding a bike that would support his frame, during which he endured several incidents of mistreatment from bike shops in Boston. Eventually, Ernie found Landry’s who was willing to work within his budget and built him a custom hybrid bike with heavier mountain bike tires. It also took trial and error to find cycling apparel in his size, but thankfully companies such as Aerotech Design, De Marchi and Champion Systems (who offer sizing customization) allowed him to find comfort on the bike saddle.  And Ernie’s desire to bond with the community lead to such regular activities as “Spandex parties” where cyclists get together only in spandex – part silly ice breaker, part serious way to not allow anyone to hide behind their appearance. Such kindness and acceptance is truly a unique aspect of the endurance community. Ernie says “without question” these friends have done more to help him than any medical professional ever could.

Ernie is refreshingly brave in discussing his emotional difficulties. He’s battled depression since his teenage years and often feels that he takes “three steps forward and one step back.”  He recounts a panic attack he suffered last Fall on a return trip to Landry’s for a much improved custom titanium-frame, a Seven, Mudhoney S cross bike. He admits that although several of his teammates were waiting for him (AND he was familiar with the staff), he struggled for 45 minutes just to get out of the car. He says it’s a constant process to learn how to associate with people and remember that not everyone is out to hurt or take advantage of him.

His cycling journey has not been without physical incident, either. In August 2011, Ernie was diagnosed with exercise-induced asthma. Barely a week later, while out with Cosmo for a routine ride up to Burlington, Massachusetts, Ernie suffered a coughing spell and had to turn around just a few miles in. Catalano recalls that “it was pretty clear that something wasn’t right from the beginning of the ride” and Ernie described his pain as “tight” and “crushing.” Sensing that this might be something more severe, Cosmo and fellow pal Chris essentially forced Ernie to go to the hospital. Doctors at first feared that Gagnon suffered a minor heart attack. However, the final diagnosis was angina, chest pain resulting from inadequate oxygen-rich blood reaching the heart. In Ernie’s case, the angina was indicative of a deeper underlying heart condition – ironically, one that he never would’ve exposed without cycling. The silver lining: Doctors warned it would have been much worse without those years of hard work to improve his fitness. Thus, Ernie continues to literally ride for his life, breaking down physical and emotional barriers.

Ernest (center) takes a test ride around the cross course that he helped organize in Waltham, MA.

As a result of that short hospital trip, Ernie must set his 2012 fitness goals realistically. He’s been instructed not to let his heart rate elevate too high for extended periods of time, making longer road racing unlikely in the short term. Just this winter, however, he’s organized a cyclocross relay race in the Boston ‘burbs, signed up for an indoor time trial and is aiming for other shorter criterium and cross-races throughout the spring. His blood sugar levels have stabilized at “normal” levels, keeping his diabetes in check but not officially in remission. In regards to his depression, he admits that he’s gotten better at rebounding from anxiety attacks but they haven’t fully stopped. He’s taken leaps and bounds to break the vicious obesity and depression cycle, but still has many miles ahead.

What have Ernest’s friends learned from him? For Cosmo, it’s the toughness and determination that resonates most. He reiterates that “Ernest has definitely taught me how many things I—and I think most cyclists—take for granted. All of his gains have really been from ground zero, and the incremental nature of his progress makes anything I’ve overcome seem trivial by comparison.”

Another important lesson, Zach says, is that “It makes me look at the sport (and endurance sports in general) differently. I’ve come to realize that the idea of being ‘passively inclusive’ doesn’t work for people who already feel ostracized by the world. To get them into the sport requires actively trying to include them.”

What have we learned from Ernie? First, we can stop whining about nagging ITBS symptoms or feeling too lazy to get out of bed in the winter. But perhaps more importantly, as his friends have articulately noted, every single one of us can benefit from the encouragement of a supportive community. That support serves as a reminder that the endurance world is accessible to all with the “dedication and desire to compete.”

-Andrea

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