Miles for Mom: Green Bay Friends Riding for the Mom Who Never Stopped Cheering
Every audacious goal begins with a single step. For one member of team Cindy’s Flower Power, that step was a simple request: will you make a donation?
Ava Seifert, an employee benefits advisor in Green Bay, first heard about Audaxity from her client, Andy Klemp, who was gearing up for his second Century Ride. Curious about the cause, Seifert was eager to learn more. By the end of a meeting with Klemp and Audaxity Ride Ambassador Heidi Curtes, she had “fallen in love” with the mission and decided to join a team.
Seifert wasted no time sharing the news with her best friend and future teammate, Hanna Lech. “I called my best friend right after I got off the meeting and said, ‘I have something that we’re going to do this summer.’”
From 26.2 miles to 50+ and counting
After some debate—Lech initially set her sights on 100 miles; Seifert convinced her 25 was more reasonable—they landed on the 57-mile Challenge Ride. It won’t be their first time raising money for a cause that is close to their hearts.
Lech’s mom, Cindy, was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2023. She was someone who always took care of others and never wanted help, even after her diagnosis. So her daughter sprang into action. That November, during Lung Cancer Awareness Month, she organized a marathon in Green Bay. Lech ran all 26.2 miles, untrained, alongside Seifert and their friend Skylar Prentice. It became a day their family will never forget.
Her mom spent the day catching up with old friends, neighbors, and community members who showed up to support her. And when the three women crossed the finish line hand-in-hand, Cindy Lech was there waiting to hug them.
“She was such a believer in people and in me,” Hanna Lech said. “I think she just believed that we could do anything.”
Two months later, Cindy Lech passed away.
A mom, a second mom, and a cheerleader with the biggest heart
Lech and Seifert met on the soccer team at St. Norbert College, where Cindy was their biggest fan both on and off the field.
“My mom came to every single soccer game,” Hanna Lech said. “She would drive to Iowa just to see us play one game.” She was always in the front row, gripping the railing, cheering enthusiastically for every player by name and number.
She was energetic, sassy, and giving. She loved flowers and gardening. She became a second mom to Seifert, even welcoming her into the Lech home as a roommate after college. “And she was funny—so funny—to the point where you never knew what was going to come out of her mouth,” Hanna Lech said.
“She really taught me a lot about how to just be yourself, to not care what other people think, and to stay confident. She’s a great example of the woman I wanted to become and am becoming.”
How one ‘yes’ became a team
Now, Lech and Seifert are looking forward to their first Audaxity ride on Aug. 2 and everything that comes with it—the adrenaline of trying something new, the challenge of pushing through, and the connections they’re forming along the way. They have already surpassed their original fundraising goal, fueled by an outpouring of support that started with one simple ask.
Seifert credits their success to the power of connection.
“It all starts with talking about it. I was able to create a big fundraiser in Green Bay because one person asked me to donate. This is the type of organization and energy that can change the world,” she said.
When Seifert told Klemp that she and Lech had created their own team, he was thrilled. “I was ecstatic,” he said. “It only reinforced the idea that you just need to keep telling people about Audaxity. There are people who want to help and want to get involved.”
And if Cindy could see her “daughters” preparing to ride more than 50 miles in her honor?
According to Seifert, she wouldn’t be surprised. “I think she’d be overwhelmed with joy and excitement. I’m sure she would make a sign.”
