WINDHAM, N.Y. – The Adaptive Sports Foundation’s Warriors in Motion® program will host its second road cycling event of the summer next week, from July 12-14.
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.
U.S. Navy veteran Rhonda Liddell will be among the participants who will be traveling to Windham for the mid-week excursion. Although she missed the first road cycling event the ASF hosted in May, she knows what to expect this time, as she has been a WIM road cycling regular.
“I’ve been coming to the ASF for three solid years, and I’ve been to just about all of the road biking events,” Liddell said. “It is by far the most intensive cardio workout that I participate in. My trike doesn’t have an e-assist and we’re in the Catskills, so it feels very rewarding to know that I’m able to bike like this under my own power.”
Eight veterans will set off on a three-day road cycling adventure on Tuesday afternoon, after they arrive at the Gwen Allard Adaptive Sports Center for bike fitting and a lunch. Once everyone is set to go, the group will ride from Windham Mountain to Prattsville Town Park, which is about a 10-mile trip on Route 23 along the Batavia Kill. Once they reach their destination, the ASF shuttle bus will pick up the participants and bring them back to their hotel where they can get ready before a dinner back at the ASF lodge.
Wednesday’s ride will be a daunting task, as the group of veterans and volunteers will be riding a total of about 25 miles during the day. The first leg of the journey will begin at Huckleberry Point Trailhead in Elka Park, a town southeast of Windham. From there the group will ride about 10 miles to Dolan’s Lake in Hunter. They’ll stop there for a lunch before saddling up again and riding the rest of the way to Prattsville Town Park, a distance of 15 miles. The group will then get shuttled back to their hotel rooms to get ready for another dinner at the Gwen Allard Adaptive Sports Center.
Day three of the program will be more relaxed, as the cyclists will likely stay local in Windham before heading back to ASF for a lunch and farewells.
“I’m super stoked to be able to get back to the ASF, to see my buddies and to have some camaraderie. It’s always so nice to get back together with old and new friends,” Liddell said looking ahead to next week. “ASF is my home. They got me started, they’ve helped me with everything, they’ve fixed my bike several times, so I love it there.”
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.