Riding into Focus

Many people say that a picture is worth one thousand words. At Artmill, we like to think about how one action can lead to one thousand occasions for the perfect image.

Three years ago, Jason Leffingwell decided to quit smoking. This ended up being a huge step toward his first marathon one year after the fact and now he seems to have developed a new habit, “I have completed about thirty events, including Spartan World championships, PAC Masters short course championships, ultra marathons, triathlons, and Century bike rides to name a few.”

Jason signed up for his second ride benefiting Best Buddies International in 2017 and raised $1,450 for the cause. The organization is a global nonprofit that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Little did he know that he would be riding alongside some important names in the cycling community, “Unbeknownst to me I rode with professional cyclists and Tour de France riders, George Hincapie and Christian Vande Velde.”

“I was fortunate enough to ride behind them for the first thirty miles or so and just so happened to be in the picture Best Buddies took to use in their advertising.” Jason uploaded this shot to Artmill to create a stunning 24" x 10" Gallery Acrylic Facemounted work of art. The photo features him riding immediately behind the aforementioned cyclists, almost centered in the image.

The joy of the ride and the impact made for this organization by the cyclists is clear in the photo. Jason can’t express enough how much the photo and the experience means to him, “It’s such a wonderful treat to be able to do what you enjoy and help be of service to others along the way.”