Last night we lost one.

I can’t imagine how hard it was for Mark to write an email this morning with the subject line “Tragic Loss.” This morning we received a company wide email informing everyone that yesterday a member of the Trek Family lost his life.

John was out doing what we do. He was doing what we sell. He was doing what we love. John was out for a bike ride. Witness accounts suggest that he was riding safely, responsibly, and on a wide shoulder. He was doing everything right. Witness accounts “say that [the driver]’s car drifted onto the shoulder” before hitting our friend, our family member.

I never met John. He worked in a different part of the company from me. I got the occasional email from him, but our paths never crossed in person. From all accounts he was an amazing person, a great employee, a wonderful mentor. The kind of guy I’d want to work with, the kind of guy I’d want to ride with. The kind of guy you’d be proud to call a part of the #TrekFamily.

Last night John went out to ride his bike. He went out to experience the joy of two wheels. The joy that brought us into the sport, the joy that brought us to our career calling, the joy that is at the heart of what we do. We’re not just trying to sell bicycles at Trek. We’re trying to enable people to experience the same joy that we feel when we throw a leg over a bicycle. He never quite made it home. I don’t know how far John had to go when he was struck by a car, but right now I’m going to go finish a few of his miles for him. I’m going to take some time away from all of the work that seems so important, the to-do lists that seem so pressing, the deadlines that are imminent, and I’m going to go pedal. I’m going to wear my helmet, light up my Flare R, and ride responsibly, just like John did. And I’m probably going to shed a tear, because the #TrekFamily lost one last night.

#thisonesforJohn