Dispatch: Road2Recovery Ride with Severna Park's Karey Harris

Here is Karey Harris' report on Thursday's ride featured on Patch on Aug. 25. Her was posted on Sept. 10. The next on.

The trip began Sept. 11 in New York and will continue through historic Pennsylvania via Philadelphia, Lancaster, Gettysburg, and Bedford, to the Flight 93 crash site in Shanksville, PA. The tour will end on Sept. 18 at the Pentagon Memorial in Washington, DC. Harris is cycling with 300 others to raise money for wounded soldiers.

" The last article said it, but I'm injured. I'm planning on at least riding into the Pentagon, but that's as far as I'm willing to set my sights right now.  That said- after swallowing my pride about wanting to ride every mile of this, I managed to have a far better day than I would have riding.  I had two choices yesterday morning- either I could feel sorry for myself, or I could suck it up and try to make a few dozen people feel better about what they were doing. 

I was more helpful in a vehicle yesterday than I would have been riding.  As a rider, I know what helps and what they need/want.  Also as a rider, I know that riding up mountains, in the rain, in 50 degree weather, with a really strong wind is NO fun. 

So, my driver and I played some loud music, passed out water and food, gave some encouragement, and did our best to make everyone's day a little bit better.  One guy in particular told me he liked my optimism, and a few people said the music helped.

I also managed to see things I probably would not have seen... or at least not for long.  Watching one man push a recumbent bicycle up a mountain, with no breaks, and without being asked... was incredible.  The recumbent was lone (similar to the day I was injured), and a Marine (OohRah!) came to his aide. Without being asked, he pushed the recumbent to the water stop. 

I won't name either man today, but their motivation was indescribable. When they got to the water stop, I walked over to them to tell them how amazing they were, and had to stop in my tracks.  They had stood up and were hugging each other, with the man in the recumbent so thankful for the help that he was in tears. 

Each was telling the other how well they did, and the Marine was MORE than willing to carry his new friend the rest of the way up the 2,000'+ mountain.  I'm tearing up thinking about it, but this was what motivation, dedication, and digging for that last little bit of reserve is about.

Just as the riders struggled with our 95-mile day through the PA mountains, I struggled with my own personal demons. I don't like being injured. I wanted to ride in the cold wet miserable day.  I found where I was supposed to be though, and am OK with that. 

Today we visit the Flight 93 crash site, and listen to the parents of Todd Beamer, who is one of the passengers who organized the revolt against the hijackers.  He and the other 3 men are the reason that plane did not hit another building.  Goosebumps! Stay tuned"

Karey Harris

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Ride2Recovery creates custom bicycles for wounded soldiers. Ninety cents from every dollar raised will go to building specially-equipped bicycles for the wounded soldiers to ride in the Road2Recovery event.

To make a donation, visit http://www.ride2recovery.com/sponsor-a-rider.html, type "Karey Harris" on the left hand side where you are asked to choose a rider to sponsor.