Cyclists
Nels Matson- Florida (Partial Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return, ASD)
Nels was born a healthy looking baby in October of 1982. The fall of 1984 his family doctor listened to his heart and it sounded like a washing machine. The summer of 1985 Nels had open heart surgery to correct 3 of 4 pulmonary veins going into his heart the wrong way and a hole . Last summer Nels cycled … Read Nels’s full bio
Nick Busta- California
Nick Busta hails from the Bay Area, having been born at Stanford Hospital in October 1985. He spent his childhood and teenage years living in San Mateo, a suburb of San Francisco. Throughout his childhood, Nick participated in several sports, but found his calling with endurance sports when he reached high school. He ran cross-country and distance track all four years, and sought to … Read Nick’s full bio
Jeni Busta- California (Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome)
Jennifer Busta (formerly Sorensen) was born at UCLA Medical Center on June 25, 1985 with a complex congenital heart disease called Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, or HLHS. HLHS is a condition where the left ventricle does not develop during… Read Jeni’s full bio
Crew
Jill- California
I’m Jill, Jeni’s mom and one of those Mom’s that have an inquiring kind of mind. So… when our Jeni was about to be born on June 25th 1985 with a complex heart defect called Hypo-plastic Left Heart Syndrome or HLHS, (Which was unheard of in those days) I wanted to be prepared… I wasn’t about… Read Jill’s full bio
Denise ‘Zolla’ Pizzo- Florida
Denise Zolla Pizzo since 1999 has been assisting athletes at all levels of competition through her vocation as a Licensed Massage Therapist in the state of Florida. It seemed a pairing from a place of destiny when in the spring of 2007 Nels Matson, upcoming endurance athlete, and she began their relationship. In addition to her extensive sport massage therapy skills she holds a certification as a Pre-natal/Postpartum therapist and is an Instructor of Infant Massage for parents & caregivers. She is passionate about assisting children and families bonding experiences through her work.
The alarming statistics of congenital heart defects was something she came to know about from Nels’ personal exploration of his own CHD. When Nels decided to dedicate his athletic endeavors to The CHF, Denise fully supported him. Her support through bodywork helped Nels complete Bike4CHF 2010 injury free.
Although her expertise of bodywork was needed, her amateur role as videographer and photographer provided hours of fun & excitement for everyone following the ride including her. She enjoyed tapping into many skills of her past careers in accounting, event coordinating and public relations. She looks forward to being a part of Bike4theCHF 2011 with great excitement!
