WINDHAM, N.Y. – The Adaptive Sports Foundation’s Warriors in Motion® program will host its first mountain biking event of the summer next week, from June 14-16.

The Warriors in Motion (WIM) program provides participating injured United States servicemen and women with a basic knowledge and practice of wellness and the importance of lifelong healthy living. All Warriors in Motion programs are goal-oriented and empower the warrior to take charge of their own fitness and wellness.

After the WIM program started on the streets of Windham and neighboring towns with its road cycling event in May, it will be hitting the mountainous terrains of the Catskills. U.S. Army veteran Mike Chernetsky is entering his fourth year with Warriors in Motion, and he always looks forward to the mountain biking event.

“It was actually what got me into biking,” Chernetsky explained. “ASF started me on my journey, and now I bike almost every single day. It was a life-changer.”

The warriors will be asked to arrive on Tuesday, June 14 at the Gwen Allard Adaptive Sports Center at 11:30 a.m. for a meet and greet, a lunch and bike fitting. From there, the plan will be to head over to the slopes of Windham Mountain for a skills clinic and to run through the fundamentals of mountain biking. Dinner will be provided afterwards back at the ASF.

Day two, the program heads to nearby Tannersville, about a half-hour drive away from Windham to the southeast. It’s there where the group will be riding all day on Huckleberry Trails, which features single and double track riding along with mixed downhill trails. Lunch will be served at Rip Van Winkle Lake. The veterans will go for another ride after the lunch break, then the ASF shuttle bus will pick everyone up and take them back to Windham to decompress after a long day before dinner.

Thursday morning’s ride will be more local and will be based on the group’s energy and comfort level. Farewells will then take place back at the ASF lodge in the afternoon.

“I never imagined that I would be a mountain biker, but it’s just so fun. It just gave me that adrenaline kick that I needed,” Chernetsky said. “To go to the ASF with other vets; it’s just different, it’s special. I look forward to it more than anything.”

Currently there are six veterans signed up to come up to the Catskills for the WIM mountain biking event. The ASF still has two more open spots for next week’s event, so if you’re interested in attending, email Program Manager Tony Vasile at tony@adaptivesportsfoundation.org.

Thanks to a grant from the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs, the ASF will be able to provide bicycle rentals (to those who need them), helmets, water bottles, all meals, hotel rooms, snacks, water, sports drinks, sunscreen, bug spray, ponchos (if necessary) and maps, both digital and paper copies. If you’d like to donate to the Adaptive Sports Foundation’s Warriors in Motion program, or any of the other programs the ASF has to offer, click here.