The Adaptive Sports Foundation concluded its second Warriors in Motion® (WIM) Mountain Biking Program of the summer on Thursday after three days of visiting local trails.

“I fully enjoyed every moment of this program,” Army veteran Mike Chernetsky said after the week’s final ride. “It’s good to get away from the stresses of normal life and have this period amongst friends doing something that I love.”

Eight veterans and six volunteers arrived at the Gwen Allard Adaptive Sports Foundation on Tuesday afternoon for bike fitting, lunch and meet and greets. Once the bikes were adjusted and everyone was situated, the ASF shuttle bus took the group over to Elm Ridge for the first ride of the week.

Elm Ridge, located in East Windham, has several different trails, but the Warriors in Motion rode the Training Loops on Tuesday. This allowed everyone to get a feel for their bikes, test their abilities and prepare for the week ahead.

Wednesday’s trip took the participants to the Round Top Mountain Bike Association trails, where they rode from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. before stopping for lunch along the Kiskatom Brook. After eating, everyone got back on their bikes for more riding for another couple of hours before the heat really set in. Instead of calling it a day, the participants then went to CD Lane Park in Maplecrest to swim in the lake to cool off.

The final ride of the week was at the Tannersville Bike Park, which boasts four different trails. The warriors mainly kept to the trail “Thriller” where the participants had fun riding the downhill path and timing their runs. Chernetsky, an avid mountain biker, made it down the trail the quickest out of the rest of the veterans, but everyone had a good time challenging themselves on the mountainous terrain. After riding in Tannersville for a few hours, the group returned to ASF for lunch before parting ways.

“The ASF has started me on mountain biking, I’ve loved every minute of it and it has totally changed my life,” Chernetsky explained. “It’s gotten me in shape, it helps me control my diabetes and it’s more than I could ever have asked for.”

The 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.

This event was the second of two WIM mountain biking programs the ASF hosted this summer. The next Warriors in Motion program will take place next week from August 9-11, and the warriors will be hitting the water for the second kayaking/paddling event of the summer.

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.

 

Hear from some warriors and volunteers about their experience with ASF this week: