Ride for Life 2026: Stopping Cancer in Its Tracks

This week’s episode of the Zeigler DRIVE Podcast goes far beyond the showroom.

It’s about purpose, adversity, and what it really means to show up for people when it matters most.

🔥 Why You Can’t Miss This Episode

If you’ve ever:

• Faced adversity
• Supported someone through cancer
• Wondered how your work connects to something bigger

…this episode will hit you right in the chest.

Sam D’Arc sits down with The Ramon Bueno Cancer Support Foundation founder Ramon Nayar for a powerful preview of the 2026 Ride for Life, happening this February in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

What starts as a conversation about a snowmobile endurance ride quickly becomes a masterclass on resilience, leadership, and human connection.

🏁 Inside the Episode

💥 A NEW Ride for Life Format

• First-ever two-day / 36-hour ride
• 400–500 miles across the UP
• Extreme cold, long miles, real adversity
• A challenge that mirrors the reality of a cancer journey

❤️ Why Ride for Life Exists

• “Stopping Cancer in Its Tracks” isn’t a slogan — it’s a mission
• Born from Aaron Zeigler’s original 500-mile UP ride
• Now a signature Drive for Life Foundation event supporting multiple cancer-focused charities

🧠 The Insight That Stops You Cold

Ramon explains why there is no onboarding for cancer — and why that gap matters for:

• Survivors
• Caregivers
• Families
• Communities

This single insight will change how you think about leadership, empathy, and support.

💪 Caregivers, Survivors & Leadership Lessons

Ramon shares:

• Why self-care is not optional for caregivers
• Why support must go beyond treatment alone
• How isolation hurts impact — and connection multiplies it
• How collaboration across nonprofits accelerates real change

This is leadership thinking that applies inside our stores and outside our walls.

📊 Accountability That Actually Matters

You’ll hear how Ramon’s foundation:

• Uses impact summaries instead of “hopeful outcomes”
• Builds real partnerships, not one-and-done donations
• Measures lives impacted — not just dollars raised

This part alone is worth the listen for anyone involved in leadership, philanthropy, or performance.

❄️ Why Ride for Life Resonates with Team Zeigler

Because it reflects who we are:

• Commitment
• Preparation
• Grit
• Teamwork
• Purpose beyond profit

Just like the ride itself, not everyone can do it — but everyone can support it.

🚨 How You Can Get Involved

• Watch the LIVE Ride for Life livestream this February
• Support the Ramon Bueno Cancer Support Foundation
• Share the mission
• Donate what you can — every dollar matters

Here is the link to donate:   

 |  | givengain.com | 

Ride for Life is a reminder that:

• The hardest roads reveal the strongest people
• Purpose fuels endurance
• What we do together matters far beyond our stores

This episode will stick with you.

🎧 Listen now. Share it. And be part of something bigger.

This week, we go backstage at Zeigler Honda in Kalamazoo with VP of Talent Development Mike Van Ryn and special guest Rhianon Gelsomino—world-class Subaru Rally co-driver and partner to motorsport legend Travis Pastrana.

Rhi’s story is nothing short of extraordinary: from growing up in a motorsport family, to overcoming devastating accidents that left her learning to walk again, to carving out her place as one of the best in a male-dominated industry.

🔥 In this episode, you’ll hear how grit, preparation, and passion fuel both rally racing and the culture at Team Zeigler.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Resilience in Action: How Rhi turned broken bones, burns, and setbacks into fuel for an unstoppable career.
• Preparation Under Pressure: Why success in rally—and business—comes down to relentless preparation and multitasking.
• The Power of “Why”: Rhi’s inner drive to compete, inspire, and challenge herself every day.
• Breaking Barriers: Her message to women in male-dominated industries: make no excuses, work hard, and prove you belong.
• Leadership & Giving Back: How Rhi combines her passion for teaching with racing through Aus Rally Pro, training the next generation of drivers.
• Culture & Community: The surprising ways Subaru, Zeigler, and the rally community share values of teamwork, positivity, and giving back.

Memorable Quotes

Why You Should Listen

Whether you’re chasing your next sales goal, leading a team, or facing down life’s toughest challenges, Rhi’s story will inspire you to set goals, take risks, and push beyond limits.

🎧 Listen now to learn how YOU can drive vision in your own life and career.
👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and leave us a comment with your biggest takeaway!

Show Notes – Episode Title: “You Belong Here”

This week on The Driving Vision Podcast, we dive into one of the most universally felt, rarely discussed challenges in personal and professional growth: Impostor Syndrome.

Joining host Sam D’Arc are two powerful Zeigler leaders—Ariah Daniels and Sheri Teodoro—who led a vulnerable, empowering conversation as part of our Women Leaders at the ZAG series. Their session sparked real talk about self-doubt, confidence, preparation, mentorship, and what it truly means to own your seat at the table.

Whether you’re new in your role, a seasoned pro, or somewhere in between—this episode will challenge and inspire you.

🔑 Episode Highlights

• What is Impostor Syndrome? Sherry defines the inner dialogue that can follow even our biggest wins.
• Why we all feel it—and how to beat it: Childhood triggers, past failures, and perfectionism… and the tools to overcome them.
• Preparation vs. Doing Hard Things: Ariah shares why tackling hard challenges—even unprepared—builds confidence and resilience.
• The Power of Relationships: Feedback lands better—and lifts us higher—when it comes from trusted people in your circle.
• Owning Your Strengths: Everyone has natural leadership qualities—learning to lean into them is the key to influence and confidence.
• Sheri’s Jim Craig Journey: From terrified to triumphant—how she turned a moment of intense doubt into a defining breakthrough.
• Culture That Builds Confidence: Zeigler’s commitment to personal development, leadership training, and inclusion gives everyone a chance to grow.
• You Belong Here: Ariah’s open invitation to every woman in the ZAG family: “You have a seat at the table. And we want to hear your voice.”

💬 Favorite Quotes:

🎧 Listen Now

Whether you're driving between rooftops or leading your next team meeting, this episode is a reminder that growth lives just outside your comfort zone.

🔗 Tune in to The Driving Vision Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen

🛠️ Get Involved:

Interested in joining the Women Leaders at the ZAG series? Know someone who should? Reach out to Ariah Daniels or ask any participating team member to get on the invite list for the next session this September.

Happy New Year Everyone!

Darren created his hotel management company, Service Freak Hospitality, LLC.  His company now leases and operates the Magic Castle Hotel.  Darren and his team have brought an ordinary looking and limited-service hotel, to being a multi-award- winning business based on high levels of customer service, and unique amenities.  The hotel has been featured in multiple articles on customer service, podcasts, and books including the New York Times best seller, The Power of Moments by Chips & Dan Heath.  

Darren gave a TEDx Talk in Santa Barbara, CA on the topic of customer service and has spoken to many companies world-wide including; Nike, General Motors Mexico, and Harcourts Realty in Australia.

https://www.servicefreak.com/introductions

https://www.magiccastlehotel.com/

During her time with TEAM ZEIGLER she discussed her journey following her survival of the Boston Marathon bombing which led to the amputation of her leg. After the incident, Gregory went on to start Rebekah's Angels, a charity dedicated to helping families with trauma therapy. So far over 700 families have been supported by the organization. 

"The most beautiful parts of life come from the most broken places."

Gregory's keynote address, recounted her extraordinary journey of courage and perseverance following the life-altering events of the Boston Marathon. Despite initially attending the marathon as a spectator, Gregory and her son found themselves just feet away from the bomb blast, an experience that forever changed her and her family's life. 

She recounted her path to recovery, which included a staggering 76 surgeries, speaking in detail on how this journey helped her find her purpose amidst adversity. She spoke about how her son gave her so much strength during this time despite being so young and having experienced an extraordinarily traumatic event himself. He helped shift her perspective in terms of what her amputation meant by being excited to have a "robot mom," which gave her so much courage in a time where so many people would break. 

After her surgery she made it her goal to run the Boston Marathon and started learning how to walk and run at the same time. During her time training to walk she encountered a man that came up to her after she parked in a disabled space. An interaction that anyone else would have taken to be saddening and infuriating, she saw it with so much gratitude because the man had identified her as having both legs. This was something she was conscious about as she was learning to walk, studying people's gait and stride to mimic it with her new leg which she affectionately called "Carmen Sandi-Lego." 

"Rebekah Gregory's story is a powerful testament to the 

 spirit. Her message of 

resilience and living with intention deeply resonated with our team, inspiring us all to embrace obstacles as opportunities for growth."

Aaron Zeigler, CEO & President, Zeigler Auto Group

Gregory was eventually able to run the last 3.2 miles of the Marathon after training for mere months post-op and suffering an injury where her leg split open. The 3.2 miles stood for the amount of time it took her to not only walk but to be able to run again. When she passed the finish line, she fell to the ground and said to herself: "this is the day I take my life back."

Another impactful moment came that same year, where she had to face  one of the men responsible for the bombing in the courtroom. She was asked to write a victim's impact statement, she was asked to go last, after 26 people, because of how powerful her statement was. Her exact words were: "I was asked to give an impact statement today, and in order to do that I would have to be someone's victim, and I'm not yours; and I'm not your brother's."

She also went on to say that although his act of hate stretched a couple hundred feet, the act of love seen in response stretched hundreds of thousands of miles; and that no one would remember them only what survivors have gone on to do despite the tragedy. She ended her state with "how's that for your victim statement!" In response, she was met with a soul-less, unfazed person, showing no remorse, looking back at her.

This was the day she remembered what her nurse Sandy told her before her amputation: "on the other side of fear, YOU will be unstoppable." Leaving the courtroom she felt unstoppable, because if she could face down a bomber in court, there was nothing she couldn't do.

"Rebekah Gregory's story is a powerful testament to the human spirit," said Aaron Zeigler, CEO & President of Zeigler Auto Group. "Her message of resilience and living with intention deeply resonated with our team, inspiring us all to embrace obstacles as opportunities for growth."

"On the other side of fear, YOU will be unstoppable.

"Rebekah Gregory was a very impactful speaker. We had amazing feedback from our team across the organization about how she was such a genuine and caring person.She has a real talent for sharing her story and taking the audience there with her and making them part of the journey!  Her perspective, mindset and sense of humor make her so special!  We were fortunate to have invested time with Rebekah!"
Mike Van Ryn, VP of Talent Development, Zeigler Auto Group

Gregory was also a guest this week on our upcoming Zeigler's Driving Vision Podcast with COO Sam D'Arc, Culture and Talent Development Director Ariah Daniels, and VP of Talent Development Mike Van Ryn. During the podcast interview she went on to share even more details about how her world view changed completely after the incident. She recounts feeling like she was on autopilot for the first 26 years of her life and suddenly feeling very blessed when she saw the good in people through the "angels" that rescued her at the Boston Marathon. She also went into more details about the  Listen to the interview here.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Nikic

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Nikic

●       Presenting on the Key Note Stage Wednesday, October 18 at 11am PST

○       Kelly Majauskas - Sr. Partner Managers at Pinterest

○       Lindsay Latsko - Director of Internet and Marketing at the Zeigler Auto Group

○       Justin Friend - SVP at Dealers United

●       Session: Discover, Decide & Drive: The Road to Dealer Success on Pinterest

○       Featuring Zeigler Subaru’s success on Pinterest

○       Lindsay - why did you choose Pinterest for Subaru of Kenosha?

○       Kelly - what do car buyers look like on Pinterest and how can that differ from other social media platforms?

○       Justin - The session is called Discover, Decide & Drive.  What is that all about?

○       Lindsay - So what did success look like? Or When it comes to Pinterest, what advice would you give to a dealer?

○       Justin - You have spoken at Digital Dealer before.  What are you looking forward to for this session?

○       Kelly - I would imagine that Pinterest is pretty big as we head into the holiday season. What are some simple ideas for a dealer to started with Pinterest?

One much-anticipated announcement each year is who will keynote the event?  Last year, we heard from Michigan State head football coach, Mel Tucker.  Others speakers have included Ben Wallace, Corey Davis, Chris Spielman, Tom Izzo, among others.  Today, we unveil the Speaker at this year’s 41st annual Drive for Life Foundation gala event….head coach of the Detroit Redwings Derek Lalonde.  Coach Lalonde joins us to discuss Drive for Life, what it means to him and his family, and what we might expect on that night. 

• When is the best time to buy a vehicle?
• How are interest rates impacting the industry?
• What is the state of Digital Retailing?
• What is the Ultimate Buying experience?
• How is Chat GPT changing the world?

Carrie Drake, Race Director for the Zeigler Kalamazoo Marathon joins to discuss:

• Preparations for the 2023 Marathon in Kalamazoo, Michigan
• A recent run-in with a "silent mascot." 
• Invitation to run this year's race!
• Zeigler takes on Stryker for the first-annual Step Challenge

Our guest this week has been Driving Basketball Vision at Michigan State University since he became head coach in 1995.  Coach Tom Izzo is in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, has led the Spartans to eight final fours in the NCAA Tournament, which include a National Championship in 2000 and a runner-up finish in 2009.  He is the winningest basketball coach of all time in the Big Ten with an astounding 666 career wins.  Coach Izzo and his program have developed many players who have gone on to play and star in the NBA.  

• Members of the Zeigler Auto Group remember Mitch Albom's address to Team Zeigler in the Locker Room last week.  Check out last week's episode for the Driving Vision podcast's interview with Mitch.

• Connection
• Resilience is the speed with which a Team can go from Despair to Hope
• Team Building

The Driving Vision podcast is back next week with new content.  Happy Holidays everyone!

• Dan Scheid
• Joe St Germain
• Matt Douvikas
• Mike Van Ryn
• The Warner Family
• Chryl Procarione and Gianna Procarione
• Damon West, Author of The Coffee Bean
• Mike Van Ryn and Hayden Van Ryn
• Chris Zeppenfeld
• Eric Johnson
• Lindsay Latsko
• Bill O'Hara
• Bob Kuehl
• Lawrence Mendez
• Ariah Daniels
• Mitch Miller
• Derek Webb
• Joe Reynolds
• Kyle Faiman
• Mike Neal, Brown & Brown Dealer Services
• Will Walton
• Tammy Bruno
• Matt Thomas
• Tim Starck
• Bill Reynolds, Rev Business Solutions
• Ben Coopes
• Kevin Counihan
• Jodi S
• James King
• Rick Botic
• James
• Troy
• Steve Sobol

1:30: Damon West talks with the Podcast 'behind the scenes' in the Zeigler Locker room
44:16: Zeigler Kalamazoo Marathon with Carrie Drake and Jeff Peterson of Classic Race Management
58:24: First Day Shoe Fund with Maggie Hesketh

"Damon West, M.S. Criminal Justice, is a college professor, internationally known keynote speaker and Wall Street Journal best-selling author of The Coffee Bean: A simple Lesson to Create Positive Change, which Forbes’ listed in the “Top Twenty Books You Need to Read to Crush 2020.”

His autobiography, The Change Agent: How a Former College QB Sentenced to Life in Prison Transformed His World, vividly tells how he transformed the pot of boiling water that is a Texas maximum-security prison into a pot of coffee.

At 20 years old, he was a Division 1 starting quarterback at the University of North Texas, when he suffered a career ending injury. He turned to hard core drugs to cope with disappointments of life. After graduation, he worked in the United States Congress, was a national fundraiser on a U.S. Presidential campaign and eventually trained to be a stock-broker for United Bank of Switzerland (UBS). One day at UBS, he was introduced to methamphetamines; he became instantly hooked—and the lives of so many innocent people would forever be changed by the choices he made in order to feed his insatiable meth habit.

After a fateful discussion during his incarceration with a seasoned convict, Damon had a spiritual awakening. He learned that, like a coffee bean changing with the application of heat and pressure, he was capable of changing the environment around him. Armed with a program of recovery, a renewed faith, and a miraculous second chance at life, Damon emerged from over seven years of prison a changed man. His story of redemption, grit and determination continues to inspire audiences today."

https://damonwest.org/about/

American Cancer Society was the founding benefitting charity. Join us as we learn more about the charity, it’s goal, and some of the projects donor funds benefit today to cure cancer. 

Join James King, Matt Douvikas, and Ariah Daniels as we recap last week's Leadership session with Jim Craig.  Also, hear last month's top-ranked Technicians and Service Advisors interviewed by Ariah Daniels and Matt Thomas.

Join Joe St Germain, Mike Van Ryn, and Jonathan Moscovitch to discuss a National Sales award achieved by Jonathan Moscovitch.  

Jonathan shares several tips for achieving long-term relationships with customers including methods to organize time, connect with every customer, and how to get your name in the marketplace consistently.

• Matt Thomas
• Chris Lampen-Crowell
• Carrie Drake
• Tom
• Bryan Applin
• Zach Terrell
• Mike Van Ryn
• Josh Bilicki

Hear the Driving Vision podcast live on race route.  Participants share their thoughts and experiences before, during and after the race.

• Aaron Zeigler, Bonnie Zeigler, and Family
• Dan Scheid and Family
• Plus many many more members of Team Zeigler

• Maserati Grandville wins Prestigious National Award. 
• Join Derrick Jones, Chris Zeppenfeld, and Dan Scheid as they discuss Zeigler Maserati Grandville's prestigious Trofeo Club Award.