Diesel in Action
How Dr. Dano Rides for Pulmonary Fibrosis Research
It’s only his second CowaLUNGa® Charity Bike Tour, but Dr. John Dano is already excited to run it back. An avid cyclist and six-time RAGBRAI participant, he was the only rider to camp during the 2024 CowaLUNGa. “I don’t know what I’m going to do this year. The air conditioning would have felt pretty good,” Dano says with a smile.
Dr. John Dano rides in memory of his friend, and his wife’s uncle, Paul Sonnabend, a career Navy sailor who passed in 2022, after a three-year battle with pulmonary fibrosis. “We would have good times playing games, going out, going to dinner,” recalls Dano. “He was one of my deer hunting buddies. We went deer hunting for over 20 years and deer hunting is more about being social than the harvest.”
It’s the social aspect that Dano appreciates about CowaLUNGa. “What I find is that there are a lot of very nice, social people that you get to meet.” Every time he would come up on someone, he would slow down just to talk. He also fondly remembers the post-ride dinner and gathering: “They did a real great job for the dinner. Then they bussed us to a restaurant that had a nice patio, and we were able to socialize,” says Dr. Dano. “I’m looking forward to seeing some of the friends I made last year again this year.”
Reflecting on the challenge that is CowaLUNGa, he notes, “I think I did a total of 165 miles over those two days,” and he’s already anticipating 2025’s course. “I’m looking forward to the second day in riding through Kettle Moraine and Wisconsin. I like to go up to Wisconsin and ride some of the areas up there as well as all over Northern Illinois.”
His training advice is simple: “You’ll enjoy the ride much more if you condition yourself. Do some nice rides in which you’re not necessarily sprinting. I’m not a sprinter; a friend calls me ‘Diesel’ because I like a steady pace. My tip is to build up to a two-hour ride where you can do a little over 30 miles. If you can gear yourself up to do that, you can enjoy the first day of CowaLUNGa.”
When asked what advice he would give to a rider concerned about meeting their fundraising goals, Dano says they shouldn’t be worried. “I had a lot of trepidation when I started but about halfway through it became fun. I kept looking for more and more opportunities to reach out to people. Some people you don’t hear back from, but there were so many people who said, ‘Thank you so much for asking.’ All you have to do is ask.”
In a conversation with a friend, he was trying to recruit to participate in this year’s ride, he told her: “You would be surprised at how much money you could raise because your friends like you and they would be happy to help you. I think sometimes we’re our own worst enemies with our thoughts at what we can and can’t do.”
His own experience proved this true. “I just started asking them to support me and I was amazed at the response I got from so many people. I would ask them to pledge $0.10 per mile for my ride which would end up being a total pledge of $15. My thinking was if I could get 100 people to support me that would then be $1,500. But almost from the first, I had patients pledging $100 or more and saying ‘Thank you for asking me. It’s wonderful that you’re doing this. Keep it up.’”
“Before I knew it, I had raised over $4,000 which to me was the most rewarding, because in the back of my mind was that I was doing this in Paul’s memory.”
– John Dano
Having recently turned 65, Dano marked the milestone by riding 65 miles for Everybody Rides with Project Mobility. “I take my health much more seriously now than I ever did,” he says. “We go through phases in our lives where sometimes we’re not as motivated due to different factors. I feel very blessed that I can get on my bike when I want to, and usually, I can do a 30- or 40-mile ride and have fun doing it. I try to keep a certain fitness level now.”
After a hiatus from cycling, he rediscovered it last year and learned about CowaLUNGa through organized rides and fundraising efforts by local bike clubs. “I coupled my renewed love of biking with fundraising for RHA lung disease research and advocacy. Diseases happen; they shouldn’t, and hopefully we’ll find cures for pulmonary fibrosis and other lung diseases.”
For 29 years, Respiratory Health Association has proudly hosted the CowaLUNGa Charity Bike Tour. All proceeds benefit RHA’s education, research, and policy change efforts.
Register Today at RespHealth.org/Cow to ride August 2-3, 2025.