Most athletes pursuing their Olympic dream have experienced a few setbacks, but cyclist Amber Neben has had more than her share.
When she was 4 years old, Neben was diagnosed with spinal meningitis. Doctors said she wouldn't survive. In 2003, she overcame cancerous melanoma.
Neben has been through a lot, but she doesn't stop giving everything.
"Adversity is not if, it's when," Neben said. "If you haven't faced it, you're going to, and when you do, how are you going to respond to it."
Neben is a cancer survivor but that doesn't define her. She has been to two Olympics and is training for her third. But if there's anything the Lake Forest resident knows, it's adversity, which is why she's helping young people through similar struggles.
Neben founded her own nonprofit organization, which donates bikes to disabled children, like Davis Galluzzo. The nonprofit has given away nearly 650 bikes.
"The bike really becomes a tool to share the encouragement to persevere, especially for someone like Davis, who, you know, they hope he's going to walk again, but's going to take so much work," Neben said.
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Davis was diagnosed with Leukemia when he was two years old. Chemotherapy took a toll on his body and he lost all movement in his legs three years ago. But recent strides had given Davis' family hope that he'll walk once again.
"I think it just helps him to feel more normal because now he can ride a bike. His brother and sister have bikes so now he can go out with them instead of just being in a wheelchair, he's in a bike."
Neben wants Davis to dream big, to dare to be more than he could imagine.
