WINDHAM — The Adaptive Sports Foundation (ASF) is set to welcome eight wounded U.S. military veterans to Windham next week for its Warriors in Motion® (WIM) mountain biking excursion, taking place Tuesday, July 22, through Thursday, July 24.
U.S. Army veteran Ryan Pearson will be making the trip from New Jersey, and he’s looking forward not just to the camaraderie, but also the challenge.
“I’m looking to remind myself that I can do a difficult activity like mountain biking in a tough environment. I mountain bike on my own, but New Jersey is flat,” Pearson said with a laugh. “I like doing these activities with other people as well. It’s hard to motivate myself when I’m biking on my own, but us veterans push each other to continue working and succeed.”
Pearson and the other veterans will arrive at the ASF’s Gwen Allard Adaptive Sports Center at noon Tuesday to meet the ASF staff and volunteers who will help them navigate the local forests. They will also get fitted for their bikes and safety equipment, and enjoy lunch before setting off for their first ride at Hathaway Trails in Tannersville.
The participants will receive a brief tutorial on how to shift their weight while riding over rough terrain and, if applicable, how to operate their pedal-assisted e-bikes in an introductory downhill course. After a couple of hours of riding in the northern Catskills woods, the veterans will check into their hotels and rest up before heading back to the ASF lodge for dinner.
On Wednesday, the riders will leave the mountaintop and head north to Thacher State Park. Located in Albany County, Thacher State Park features 25 miles of hiking and mountain biking trails and boasts panoramic views of the Hudson-Mohawk valleys and the Adirondack and Green mountains.
The Warriors in Motion group is scheduled to arrive at the park by 10:30 a.m., where the participants will focus on skill development and double-track riding. They’ll ride until 3 p.m., with a lunch break mid-day, before the ASF shuttle returns them to Windham. They’ll have time to wash up and relax before another group dinner at the lodge.
On Thursday, the group will return to Hathaway Trails to put their newly learned skills to the test in a time trial down “Thriller,” a mountain biking path that features twists, turns and jumps. This friendly competition will allow the veterans to challenge themselves while earning some bragging rights among their peers.
Once final times are tallied, the group will head back to the lodge for lunch before the participants go their separate ways.
“Without a doubt, isolation is one of the biggest issues when coming out of the military,” Pearson said. “The Warriors in Motion program helps veterans get out of the house and reminds them that they’re capable of doing more than what you think your body can do. Mountain biking especially—you don’t always know that you’re capable of going up that big hill or doing a fun downhill race. You’re active and productive, and some veterans don’t have that feeling after leaving the service.”
Thanks to grants and private donations, the ASF provides all necessary equipment, helmets, water bottles, meals, hotel accommodations, snacks, drinks, sunscreen, bug spray, ponchos (if needed), and both digital and printed trail maps.
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