Velocity Spotlight: Scott Manner
On October 6, patients, families, friends and healthcare providers will bike together through the Hudson Valley as part of the Velocity ride to help Columbia solve cancer. Among them will be Scott Manner, a retired senior IT consultant and Westchester resident who has participated in Velocity each year since the event’s inception in 2017.
Since 2017, nearly 4,500 people have joined the Velocity community, raising more than $8 million in support of patient care and pioneering research at Columbia’s Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center. About the genesis of his participation in the event, Mr. Manner says: “I’ve been riding for this fundraiser since the beginning. I used to work in the city on Wall Street and I used the Metro North train to commute. Riding back from work, I see this poster for the Velocity ride to end cancer and I think to myself, ‘I ride a bike. I can probably do that and do some fundraising.’ I’ve had friends and family pass away from this disease and currently I have a few friends battling cancer and in treatment, so I said, ‘I’ll sign up and go for the 42-mile distance.’”
Committed to Velocity’s cause, Mr. Manner signed up again and again. He says, “After the first one I needed more training. The first time it was a battle. I was a little tired, but I knew that it was for a good cause.” Scott then described how he ramped up to the longer distances ultimately tackling 62 miles. “I do that in about 5 hours, he noted.” I start my training in April. I have an indoor bike, so I do a little bit of training indoors but most of the time it’s outside and I ride 20 miles and then work my way to 30 miles and then 40 and then go on a 50-mile-long ride to make sure I’m okay.”
Since his first Velocity ride in 2017, Scott has raised more than $30,000 for cancer research at Columbia, and he’s biked 400 miles/645 kilometers over the eight years. Manner explained his approach to fundraising: “I start my fundraising very early. As soon as I begin my training, I send an email to all the people who supported the previous year, and I hound them as we go along. I’ve got about $2850 now and people I have to follow up with.” In addition to friends and family, he goes to his favorite local delis and pizza places to raise money through sponsorship.
Scott has a strong family and friends support system. Scott is the family representative for the ride and his family chips in for the fundraising. He said, “I get great support from my wife, our children, our 6 grandchildren, and friends. Everybody’s involved in it. It’s part of the fun, everyone knows I like riding, and they help me train.”
When asked what got him hooked on Velocity, Scott said, “It’s a worthy cause. I’m not a scientist, so I can’t solve the problem myself, so the best thing I can do is help the people who are friends of mine who are suffering with it, pray for the people that have passed away and raise as much money as I can and join it into the pool of funding to see if we can solve the problem. The other reason is that I really enjoy riding.”
Mr. Manner offered some advice for first-time riders and people who want to increase their mileage: “You have to be realistic with yourself. Plan your training. You can’t do too much training.” Scott noted, “I’m lucky because I have bike paths near me. I can always get my miles in. Build yourself up slowly—first do a 10-mile and then a bunch of 10-miles. Go time yourself and see how fast you’re going and what is your cadence, how long does it take you? Set small goals that are attainable and then work your way up to a longer distance.” He further described: “You might notice ‘my leg gets tired at 20 miles—what does that mean? I have a cramp in my thigh—why is that happening? Do I need to drink more water or more electrolytes?’”
Scott also lends his encouragement to others looking to be a part of this great community. “Be humble. It’s not a race. It's not about the time, it’s about the cause.”