DENVER (KDVR) — March is Women’s History Month and we continue to highlight finalists of our Remarkable Women of Denver contest. These women were selected out of over 400 nominations sent in by viewers.
Meet Sharon Madison. Adversity, hardship and heartbreak are three words that describe her journey.
“It was a night I’ll never forget. It was just a freak accident,” Madison told FOX31’s Katie Orth.
Madison, a Denver resident and mother, lost her oldest son, Eric, six years ago.
“He grabbed a wastebasket, he thought he was going to get sick. He passed out and asphyxiated and passed away,” she said.
Eric was 27 years old.
The Madison family has had some time to process the loss, but the void is there to stay.
“You know you just have to keep going and moving on. I just kind of keep one foot in front of the other and I knew he would want me to keep going,” Sharon said.
She was determined to do good with her grief.
“I would call myself a giver. I love to give. I love to help people,” Sharon said.
A few years after her loss, Sharon knew how she could make a difference.
“The cycling really keeps me moving and going and I’m lucky that I have that. It kinda takes your mind away from the pain you were living in day to day,” Sharon said.
This newfound passion for cycling led Sharon to We Ride 4.
It’s a nonprofit she started to honor her son, by getting kids on bikes.
“We try to work more around kids to get those kids in need, get them outside, get them on bikes, give them fresh air,” Sharon said.
Heartbreak turned into a heartwarming cause to keep the memory of her son Eric alive.