I had the honor of riding in the 2017 Pink Pumpkin Pedal-Off this past weekend, raising money for and supporting those who have been affected by breast cancer. There were a few hundred riders that participated in the event and the weather was in a word, perfect. Riders included everyone from the hardcore speed and distance riders to the casual rider and everyone in between. Our team from Gator Amps included two cancer survivors, Dena and Steff, who had just finished her final treatment a week before the ride. There were different ride lengths of 10, 22, 40, and 60 miles. We opted for the 10-mile ride as many of us had not been on our bikes in a while and Steff was uncertain how she would feel, fresh off of her treatments. For those who ride often, 10 miles is just a warm up but for us on this day, it was more about being together as a group and enjoying the event. A few of us decided that for the next ride, we would step it up a bit and take on the challenge of a longer ride.

This was my first organized ride and I must say it left me wanting to participate in more. The comradery amongst all the riders was palpable. Everyone was very encouraging as we all pedaled for a great cause. By nature of having a couple of survivors in the group and many of us showing our mettle, we received a lot of “great job” and “way to go” along the way. As an amputee, you get use to these types of comments that we probably would not have received otherwise had our prosthesis not been on display. Many of us don’t participate to show what we can do with a disability, we just want to participate like everyone else. That being said, if it encourages just one person to push harder or get motivated to get out there and be active, then that’s a good thing.

At the halfway point rest stop, we ran into someone I would describe a complete stud, Albert O. Reed, who is an amputee as well. I have seen his pictures hanging on the walls at Gainesville Prosthetics in different articles, highlighting his athletic achievements as an amputee. He was doing one of the longer rides but stopped and chatted with us for a few minutes before heading on his way. For us, he represents what can be achieved at a high level if you put the work in.

The more I ride my trike, the more I want to. It gives me a sense of being back out there, even if it is not with 1600 cc’s moving me along at 60 mph. Riding a bicycle or a trike in my case, you get to view the world from a unique perspective. It forces you to be in tune to your surroundings and take it all in. Because you are not moving at a fast pace, you get a chance to enjoy the beauty of the world around you that you might otherwise miss and that is the allure of so many people who head out every day and on the weekends to hit the trails. I have ridden some of the local trails many times and every time I ride, I see something different. I would love to work my way up to a century ride and look forward to the day I can cross that off my list. As for now I look forward to joining my Gator Amps team on the next ride. Let’s do this!