Posts
3
Joined
10/6/2006
Location
Huntington Beach, CA
US
Edited Date/Time
1/26/2012 9:36am
By Josh Allen, Brendan Lutes, and Donn Maeda
We are opening this week's edition of Monday Kickstart with a letter from TWMX test rider Michael Sleeter who lost his brother Cole to cancer on New Year's day…
Cole Anthony Sleeter
October 5, 1982 – January 1, 2007
It has been almost one year since my younger brother Cole was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Cole was determined to beat this disease and there was no doubt in our family’s minds that he would. From the beginning things just didn’t seem to go Cole’s way. He got a small infection from the surgery where they removed his testicle. Cole never once complained and was going to do what ever it took to beat this disease. Cole underwent rapid chemo and radiation right away and things were looking really good until his body became immune to chemo. All this time Cole was riding his bike! He would undergo 50 hours of chemo a week then head out to the races to watch me or head out to Ocotillo to go riding himself. After they realized that the chemo was no longer working and that his cancer markers were growing, he had to get a chest port and that meant no more riding. He then underwent a stem cell transplant, but it was all to no avail, as it didn’t work. Cole was so mad, but he never complained the whole time. He was so mad because he spent one month in the hospital, and it was for no reason in his eyes. When Cole got the chest port out he started to ride once again and rode all the way until Thanksgiving weekend of 2006. He then became too weak to ride, and that’s when it all went wrong.
It took less then a month for Cole’s body to become so weak that he could no longer walk. This was not the Cole that I knew! Cole was wide open his whole life and he accomplished so much racing. He finished top 10 at every amateur national as a B rider but couldn’t stay healthy to keep that dream alive. Cole’s last pro race was against me at Mammoth in ’05, when Cole and Carey Hart battled it out!
My brother is my hero for so many reasons. Throughout all of his trials with this disease he never complained or gave up. He was such a strong kid that he would never want to let anyone know that he was sick or in pain. My brother would give his right arm for me, or for anyone for that matter. That’s just the type of person he was. He loved to go to the races just to watch his friends ride because he knew how talented they were.
In the end, Cole was so strong for our family that he kept it together for us, not himself, because he knew that it was his time to go. But still, he wasn’t going to let it happen until he knew it was ok. He passed away at 4:00 a.m. on January 1, 2007, on his own terms! What I mean by this, is moments before his passing, he told the family, that he will never complain because there were people that were worse off than him. Cole is my HERO!
Cole, you will be missed forever, but never forgotten. Special thanks to all the riders and friends who gave Cole hope and support: he used all of it. This year, I am racing for “RASCOLE,” which is what his close friend knew him as.
- Mike Sleeter
Rest in Peace Cole.
[color=#FF0000]I had these number plates made in honor of Cole, if you would like one please email me and let me know, jenn@rkexcelamerica.com. Thanks to everyone for all their support for Cole and his family.[/color]
[img size=150]http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e84/pyro451975/sleeterplate.jpg[/img]
We are opening this week's edition of Monday Kickstart with a letter from TWMX test rider Michael Sleeter who lost his brother Cole to cancer on New Year's day…
Cole Anthony Sleeter
October 5, 1982 – January 1, 2007
It has been almost one year since my younger brother Cole was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Cole was determined to beat this disease and there was no doubt in our family’s minds that he would. From the beginning things just didn’t seem to go Cole’s way. He got a small infection from the surgery where they removed his testicle. Cole never once complained and was going to do what ever it took to beat this disease. Cole underwent rapid chemo and radiation right away and things were looking really good until his body became immune to chemo. All this time Cole was riding his bike! He would undergo 50 hours of chemo a week then head out to the races to watch me or head out to Ocotillo to go riding himself. After they realized that the chemo was no longer working and that his cancer markers were growing, he had to get a chest port and that meant no more riding. He then underwent a stem cell transplant, but it was all to no avail, as it didn’t work. Cole was so mad, but he never complained the whole time. He was so mad because he spent one month in the hospital, and it was for no reason in his eyes. When Cole got the chest port out he started to ride once again and rode all the way until Thanksgiving weekend of 2006. He then became too weak to ride, and that’s when it all went wrong.
It took less then a month for Cole’s body to become so weak that he could no longer walk. This was not the Cole that I knew! Cole was wide open his whole life and he accomplished so much racing. He finished top 10 at every amateur national as a B rider but couldn’t stay healthy to keep that dream alive. Cole’s last pro race was against me at Mammoth in ’05, when Cole and Carey Hart battled it out!
My brother is my hero for so many reasons. Throughout all of his trials with this disease he never complained or gave up. He was such a strong kid that he would never want to let anyone know that he was sick or in pain. My brother would give his right arm for me, or for anyone for that matter. That’s just the type of person he was. He loved to go to the races just to watch his friends ride because he knew how talented they were.
In the end, Cole was so strong for our family that he kept it together for us, not himself, because he knew that it was his time to go. But still, he wasn’t going to let it happen until he knew it was ok. He passed away at 4:00 a.m. on January 1, 2007, on his own terms! What I mean by this, is moments before his passing, he told the family, that he will never complain because there were people that were worse off than him. Cole is my HERO!
Cole, you will be missed forever, but never forgotten. Special thanks to all the riders and friends who gave Cole hope and support: he used all of it. This year, I am racing for “RASCOLE,” which is what his close friend knew him as.
- Mike Sleeter
Rest in Peace Cole.
[color=#FF0000]I had these number plates made in honor of Cole, if you would like one please email me and let me know, jenn@rkexcelamerica.com. Thanks to everyone for all their support for Cole and his family.[/color]
[img size=150]http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e84/pyro451975/sleeterplate.jpg[/img]
Thanks for posting this motovixen.
Thanks for posting that, Jenn.
Post a reply to: God Speed Cole Sleeter