Not often is one presented with an opportunity to ride a two-person bicycle with an international basketball star.
But come Saturday, Vicki Hanna, a member of the Quinault Tribe, may have the opportunity to do just that.
Hanna, a board member of the American Diabetes Association, was selected by Detlef Schrempf to ride with him on his tandem bike at the Tour de Cure on Saturday in Redmond.
The Tour is a nationwide event with the goal of fundraising for diabetes research and spreading awareness of the disease.
Schrempf, an NBA star who played for several teams, including the Seattle SuperSonics, after playing high school hoops in Centralia, was selected as a co-chair of this year’s Seattle Tour de Cure.
As a last-minute fundraising push, he said he would ride his tandem bike with another person if an additional $1,000 was raised.
So far $650 has been raised.
Hanna said she’s a little nervous about the ride.
“I’ve never been on a tandem bike, much less with a 6-foot 10-inch three-time NBA champion,” she said.
Hanna actually met Schrempf 28 years ago at the Husky Hoop Camp at Centralia High School. She was a student at Oakville High School and enrolled in the camp. Schrempf, who at the time played basketball at the University of Washington, coached her.
“He had a huge impact on my life,” Hanna, who now lives in Seattle, said. “Coaches have an indelible mark on the people they mentor, but they never know it.”
Schrempf went on to play for several teams in the NBA, including the Seattle SuperSonics.
Schrempf was selected as the co-chair for this year’s Tour de Cure event in western Washington.
Hanna has personal reasons for getting involved with the ADA: some of her family members have diabetes and she is half Native American.
“Diabetes is so prevalent in the Native American community,” she said. “So I wanted to see how many people I can try to help and raise money for funding research.”
Hana said one of the goals of the ADA is to provide support and information about the disease to communities of color and communities that have traditionally been underrepresented.
“It’s about connecting the dots for people so they can get information to educate themselves.
Hanna also encouraged people to implement exercise into their daily activities.
Research shows that physical activity can help people who are at a high risk for diabetes just as much, if not more, than some pre-diabetes medicines do, she said.
Paul Tobin, the director of corporate development for Washington and Northern Idaho, said more than 1,000 riders are expected to attend the western Washington Tour de Cure.
Last year the local event raised about $300,000; nationwide the organization raised $21 million.
•••
Bianca Fortis: (360) 807-8245
