Pedalin’4 Possibilities 2019

On Sept 12, 2018 I'm told that I experienced a bike accident, traveling at a speed of 17mph on a county road of all places in front of the Salida grave yard. I have no memory of the event or the next several weeks. My first memory is that of working with the staff at Craig. It didn't take me long to realize that I was in a special place and the best place in the country to deal with a tramatic brain injury. The physicians, nurses, and the therapists designed a recovery program that challenged me, made me work, and put me on the path to wellness. Most of my day was spent with my therapists and I grew to enjoy my time with them and noted on a daily basis small improvements. I'll take a moment to hightlight them. My physical therapist, Kate, in addition to working on my balance provided me with the ability to believe in myself and that I could recover.  Kelly, my speech therapist, helped me to use my vocabulary to appropriately express myself and to actually enjoy reading again. Lori, my recreational therapist, provided insight on the necessity of recreation and provided adult supervision on my first recumbant bike ride.Tiffany, taught me to gain confidence and function independently in activities of daily living.  Along with my therapists, the nurses and physicians were outstanding. With their work and my determination, I was able to leave Craig earlier than expected. That being said when I left I didn't know if I would ever ride my bike or ski again. On April 12th, my birthday, I skied for the first time this year.  7" of fresh powder and I was able to make nice turns. It was absolutely the best birthday ever. It took a little longer to get on the bike, but now I'm cycling 20 miles/day, 5 days/week and I'm enjoying the freedom. I'm riding in the 2019 Pedal4Possible as a way of thanking the folks at Craig for making my recovery possible so that I could enjoy my family and my lifestyle. 

Pedalin’ 4 Possibilities 2020

My writing for the 2019 ride detailed the folks who were responsible for my recovery and I could never change a single word. It’s been significantly over a year since I left Craig, that being said Craig has never left me. The folks mentioned above have continued to provide encouragement and support as well as follow my recovery. I certainly felt that they treated me like family. I would bet that all of their patients feel the same way.

A  final note, because of Craig, as of today I’ve put over 1500 miles on my bike since March 17, 2020. Every time I’m on my bike I think of and thank my Craig family. 

I will continue to try to give back to Craig and encourage others to do the same. 

Pedalin' 4 Possibilities 2021

As of December 23, 2020 I finished the year with 2300 miles.  This year the goal is 3000. In general I think of Craig every time I ride my bike and specifically the team who gave me back my life. I ride in this event as a way of thanking and giving back to Craig because without them I wouldn't be able to ride.