Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Two-day bike tour tests cyclists metal

WRAP helps escort riders from Brooke


By DANA DUGAN
Express Staff Writer

Headed for the finish line a rider careens around the corner during the Bike to Beach Tour in Texas last week. Courtesy photo Dale Roth

Wounded veteran Sgt. Nathan Hunt's six-year-old daughter had never seen him do anything active. But earlier this month she rode in a car following her father as he rode in the 19th annual Bike to Beach Bike Tour.

"She was yelling out the window of the car, cheering him on," Marc Mast, who rode with Hunt, said. For moments like these Mast travels to various locals—Hawaii for surf camps, for instance—over the year to work with wounded veterans who are, for the most part, rehabbing at Brookee Medical Army Center.

Mast, the director of the Wood River Ability Program, went to Texas with Wood River Valley resident and cycling enthusiast Carol Holman and Andy Soule, a double-leg amputee, who lost his legs while deployed to Afghanistan. After learning to cross-country (sit) ski with Wood River Ability, Soule is a now a valley resident and a member of the US Disabled Ski Team. Together they rode the 160-mile tour, from San Antonio to Corpus Christi, to raise money for multiple sclerosis on Oct. 4 and 5.

The three Idahoans representing Wood River Ability Program and the San Antonio based organization Operation Comfort escorted 20 wounded vets from nearby Brooke, on the ride. There is one support rider for each vet.

"The guys like to do this ride," Mast Said. "It's a way to give back to the country, by raising money for MS. They feel like they're continuing to serve.

"Andy Soule and another guy rode with Major Stewart Campbell, who is in charge of physical therapy at the new 60,000 square foot Center for the Intrepid at Brooke. After they finished the ride Campbell said, 'they kicked my ass' on their hand cycles."

They also left Holman in the dust and weary from the heat.

"We've helped out Marc for various things," Holman said. "And we celebrate Christmas Eve with Andy who've we've become friends with. The race started early in the morning. There were 3,000 riders. In the front they had all the 'Warriors for Freedom," half of them were wounded vets from Afghanistan and Iraq, on the bikes. It was very dramatic. There were bands, helicopters and banners. I was assigned to one of the hand cycles and I could barely keep up."

The riders could stop if so inclined, though Andy Soule was determined to keep peddling, Holman said. Aid stations were set up about every 15 to 25 miles along the route. The Brooke contingency camped overnight at Coastal Bend College with Operation Comfort.

"These guys are giving back," Holman said. "They want to show the world they can be independent and carry on. It was wonderful just being there and being part of it. I raised $2,000 just by writing to a lot of friends."

After the event was over and the amount tallied up, the bike tour made $1.3 million for MS.

Mast's riding partner, Nathan Hunt, will come to Sun Valley for the cross-country camp early next year. And Wood River Ability is working on another project to build more affordable cross-country sit skis with the proceeds going to Wood River Ability and Operation Comfort.

These will be built at a new auto shop at Brooke, where wounded vets are able to work on cars as occupational therapy.

"We have a really good design," Mast said. "A couple of the guys on this ride will help build them. We've had input from U.S. Disabled Ski Team members, coach Jon Kreamelmeyer, Paralympic cross-country champion Steve Cook and Cathy Thompson, (the program specialist) with Northeast Passage in New Hampshire.

"Sit-down (cross country) skis now cost from $1,200 to $2,000. We want to make these considerably less expensive."

Mast said there were dozens of stellar moments along the way, from the crowds along the route to the bonds created between the riders.

And for those like Nathan Hunt and his daughter the bike tour was not just about raising money but about raising morale.




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