NEWBURY PARK, Calif. (BRAIN) — Rena Kyles of Green Bay, Wis., is the latest winner of Liv/giant's Avail Inspire Design Contest, held with the Young Survival Coalition.
YSC is a global organization dedicated to the critical issues unique to young women who are diagnosed with breast cancer.
This is the third year that YSC and Liv/giant have sponsored a contest open to breast cancer survivors to design a new Avail Inspire road bike. Kyles' winning design features a theme based on the Phoenix of Greek mythology – the long-lived bird that gains new life by arising from the fiery ashes of its predecessor.
"The Phoenix is me, or any other breast cancer survivor," Rena said. "I feel from diagnosis and onward, we're all trying to rise above the flames. We're all trying to catch the wind and to learn how to glide."
She continued: "The flames in my bike design represent the fire all women who survive breast cancer go through. Cancer has helped me to become a better person."
Rena, married and the mother of two young children, was diagnosed with breast cancer on Feb. 1, 2013. Surgery, recovery and rehabilitation have followed and she's still undergoing reconstruction. "The Phoenix also symbolizes rebirth," Rena said. "I'm not sure that I've wrapped my mind fully around all that I've been through – but I know that I'm forever changed."
"In the years we've partnered with YSC, we're always amazed and inspired by the spirit and determination of breast cancer survivors to rebuild their lives," said Elysa Walk, Giant USA's general manager. "Rena's design perfectly embodies that spirit."
Rena's Phoenix-themed Avail Inspire has been handcrafted into a limited number of Shimano 105-equipped Liv/giant road bikes. The bikes are available at select Liv/giant retailers at a suggested retail price of $1,400. Matching accessories – including a jersey, water bottle and socks – are also available. Liv/giant donates 10 percent of the retail price of each item, including the bicycle, to YSC.
