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<p>After losing his stepson to leukemia, Paul Zbiek found himself faced with choices.</p><p>One was to simply give up, succumb to the heartache and live the rest of his life in sadness. The other was to use the tragedy to make a difference. A pivotal conversation shared between two family members in the waning moments of Brandon Case&#8217;s life inspired Zbiek to take up the latter.</p><p>Zbiek this week recalled the options and the final moment he shared with his stepson that inspired him to embrace a personal hobby and use it as part of an annual fundraiser honoring the 21-year-old&#8217;s memory.</p><p>&#8220;When I was holding his hand when he passed away, I told him I wanted to have the spirit he has,&#8221; Zbiek said, describing his stepson as someone who battled the disease for three years with grit and a sense of humor. &#8220;Somehow I managed to do that.&#8221;</p><p><strong>Biking for Brandon</strong></p><p>As he&#8217;s done since Brandon&#8217;s passing, Zbiek, 64, will log hundreds of miles atop a trainer, a mounted stationary bicycle, in the 15th Annual Spin 4 Life fundraiser next month.</p><p>Zbiek, who lives in Plymouth Township with his wife, Donna, Brandon&#8217;s mother, bikes one hour for each year his stepson would have been alive.</p><p>Brandon would have been 37 this year.</p><p>A 1996 Lake-Lehman High School graduate, Brandon was diagnosed with Hodgkin&#8217;s Disease a year later during his freshman year at King&#8217;s College.</p><p>Zbiek said hopes grew after it appeared Brandon had gone into remission until a recurrence in symptoms led to a discovery.</p><p>&#8220;It was leukemia,&#8221; Zbiek said. &#8220;We think it was a result of the chemo.&#8221;</p><p>Despite battling for three years, Brandon died in September, 1999 &#8212; two months after his 21st birthday.</p><p><strong>&#8216;I had found something&#8217;</strong></p><p>After Brandon&#8217;s death, Zbiek said he often found himself peddling through the woods, sometimes for hours at a time. Sometimes more. He said it was a sort-of therapy, a way for him to cope with losing his stepson.</p><p>Alone in those woods somewhere, Zbiek found peace. He also found his niche.</p><p>&#8220;I realized I had found something I really enjoy doing and something I&#8217;m able to do,&#8221; he said.</p><p>A seasoned ultra-marathon cyclist with over 100,000 miles logged in the past decade, Zbiek draws his motivation from Brandon&#8217;s battle. For him, giving up is not an option.</p><p>&#8220;I think of how he was,&#8221; Zbiek said, pausing for a moment. &#8220;This is easy&#8230; going 37 hours. Fighting leukemia or any kind of cancer is incredibly difficult compared to that.&#8221;</p><p><strong>A marquee event</strong></p><p>The day-long fundraiser is organized by Candy&#8217;s Place, a cancer wellness center in Forty Fort. Candy&#8217;s Place had hosted the event since 2004, but moved the event to Danko&#8217;s All American Fitness in Plains this year to accommodate an influx in participants.</p><p>&#8220;Come with a lot of energy,&#8221; advised Chris Ostroski, director of Candy&#8217;s Place. Registration costs $25 for a 45-minute time slot and each slot holds 29 bikes, she said.</p><p>A 33/33/33 raffle will be held for $5, Ostroski said. Proceeds will split between the raffle winner, Candy&#8217;s Place and the Brandon J. Case Memorial Fund, set up through King&#8217;s College. Zbiek is a professor of history and geology at King&#8217;s.</p><p>Zbiek trains throughout the year, but such an event typically takes about 12 months of preparation.</p><p>Breaks come at a premium, he said. He follows the Ultra-Marathon Cycling Association&#8217;s rules for indoor marathons, which allow one five-minute break every hour and one 15-minute break every six hours, he said.</p><p>Ostroski described the event as one of the wellness center&#8217;s marquee fundraisers.</p><p>&#8220;So many people look forward to this event,&#8221; she said. &#8220;It&#8217;s never a hesitation from anyone asked to be on board.&#8221;</p><p>Zbiek credited Ostroski and the staff at Candy&#8217;s Place for taking the event to &#8220;another level.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s wonderful for me,&#8221; Zbiek said. &#8220;I just have to ride the bike.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Paul Zbiek talks about preparations for the 15th Annual Spin 4 Life fundraiser as Candy&#8217;s Place Director Chris Ostroski looks on. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/web1_TTL011416spinforlife2.jpg</photo0><caption0>Paul Zbiek talks about preparations for the 15th Annual Spin 4 Life fundraiser as Candy&#8217;s Place Director Chris Ostroski looks on. </caption0><photoCredit0>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/web1_TTL011416spinforlife3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Candy&#8217;s Place Director Chris Ostroski and Paul Zbiek look over scrapbooks of Brandon Case, Zbiek&#8217;s stepson, for whom the annual Spin 4 Life event was started. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/web1_TTL011416spinforlife3.jpg</photo1><caption1>Candy&#8217;s Place Director Chris Ostroski and Paul Zbiek look over scrapbooks of Brandon Case, Zbiek&#8217;s stepson, for whom the annual Spin 4 Life event was started. </caption1><photoCredit1>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/web1_TTL011416spinforlife4.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">This photo of Brandon Case with his nephews is one of Paul Zbieks&#8217; favorite photos of his stepson. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/web1_TTL011416spinforlife4.jpg</photo2><caption2>This photo of Brandon Case with his nephews is one of Paul Zbieks&#8217; favorite photos of his stepson. </caption2><photoCredit2>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/web1_TTL011416spinforlife5.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Scrapbook photo of Brandon Case, who died in 1999 after a three-year battle with leukemia. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/web1_TTL011416spinforlife5.jpg</photo3><caption3>Scrapbook photo of Brandon Case, who died in 1999 after a three-year battle with leukemia. </caption3><photoCredit3>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit3></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/web1_TTL011416spinforlife1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Paul Zbiek talks about preparations for the Spin 4 Life fundraiser. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo4>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/web1_TTL011416spinforlife1.jpg</photo4><caption4>Paul Zbiek talks about preparations for the Spin 4 Life fundraiser. </caption4><photoCredit4>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit4></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/web1_TTL011416spinforlife6.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Scrapbooks of the life of Brandon Case sit on the desk of Chris Ostroski while she and Paul Zbiek talk about Spin 4 Life. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo5>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/web1_TTL011416spinforlife6.jpg</photo5><caption5>Scrapbooks of the life of Brandon Case sit on the desk of Chris Ostroski while she and Paul Zbiek talk about Spin 4 Life. </caption5><photoCredit5>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit5></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Paul Zbiek uses power of the pedal to honor late stepson</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Joe Dolinsky</p><p>jdolinsky@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p><strong>15th Annual Spin 4 Life</strong></p><p><strong>When: </strong>Saturday, Feb. 27, 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Rides start every hour.</p><p><strong>Where:</strong> Danko&#8217;s All American Fitness, 3 N. River St., Plains.</p><p><strong>Cost:</strong> $25 (45-minute cycling ride). Price includes t-shirt, refreshments and mini-massages.</p><p>Register before Feb. 26 at www.cancerwellnessnepa.com or by calling 570-714-8800.</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Joe Dolinsky at 570-991-6110 or on Twitter @JoeDolinskyTL</p></shirttailMeta></div>

A stepson’s passing puts a spin on life for local cyclist Paul Zbiek