Bone Marrow Drive Aims to Save Gold Medal Cyclist

Mark Scott, a former mechanic at mechanic Laguna Beach Cyclery, has never been one to let adversity slow him down. When a knee injury sidelined him from motocross and skiing, he turned to cycling for physical therapy and went on to become a four-time national medalist.

And he’s not one to leave friends behind either. More than once, he’s helped organized bone marrow drives within the cycling community for friends suffering from cancer. Scott never expected that he would one day be the one in need, but he was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia in June, and now he needs a bone marrow transplant to live.

The cycling community is rallying around Scott as he fights for his life with a bone marrow drive Saturday at the Dana Point Grand Prix.

“I’ve been on both ends now I am the person who is the cause,” said Scott. “When we go through chemotherapy in the middle of the night, we feel like we are alone. But when we go through these drives, we know we are not truly alone. It’s overwhelming, and we appreciate it.”

Scott, who twice won the Dana Point Grand Prix in the 35 plus category, will be on hand to greet friends and supporters in person Saturday. “I encourage people to find it in their hearts to spend a moment to get swabbed,” he said. “It’s simple and painless, and it can save either myself or someone else’s life which is amazing.”

Mark is a father of three, and his friends and family, including 2012 USA Silver Medalist Cycling Olympian Dotsie Bauch, created the “Down to The Marrow” campaign to register new bone marrow donors for Mark and thousands of others searching for a match.

“When you talk to Mark or ask him about registering donors, finding a bone marrow match, or finding a stem cell match for him, he immediately turns the conversation and talks about finding a bone marrow match for EVERY person who is fighting blood cancers,” said Bauch. “He thinks of everyone fighting this disease as a family and he is the first one to say ‘it’s not just about me, it’s about everyone fighting this and you can save a life. Not just mine, but somebody’s life by swabbing."

A self described Navy brat, who grew up in Poway, Scott is well known in the local cycling community where he worked as a mechanic at Laguna Beach Cyclery and Cycleogical in Dana Point.

“I just love the air in my face,” said Scott.

Unable to ride since he got sick, Scott has had to work to stay positive in the harrowing months since he was first diagnosed. He was in and out of the hospital with a myriad of ailments before doctors finally figured out he had cancer. Scott was home from the hospital one day when he got the call from his doctor.

“He said I had leukemia and I had to get hospital asap. I cried because I didn’t know anything about leukemia. Just the word alone and that i had no time to waste, I was scared,” recalled Scott. “My oncologist called me her miracle baby. She told me if I had not come in on Tuesday, I would have died by Friday.”

Scott is hoping a bone marrow donor can give him another miracle.

“I keep plugging along and I’m not going to let it get the best of me,” he said.

The registration drive will be held on Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and on Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Del Prado Ave. and Street of the Violet Lantern in Dana Point. Individuals in good health between the ages of 18-55 can register as potential donors. Registration only takes a few minutes and involves filling out a form and swabbing the inside of the mouth. Those who cannot attend the drive can still get involved at DeleteBloodCancer.org by registering and/or making a gift online.

Photos courtesy of DeleteBloodCancer.org