ASFs First WIM Program of the Season Takes Vets 48 Miles on Bike

WINDHAM, N.Y. – After three days of cycling the streets of Windham and other neighboring towns and riding over 48 miles, the Adaptive Sports Foundation’s (ASF) first Warriors in Motion® (WIM) program of the season concluded on Thursday, May 11.

“Being at the ASF Warriors in Motion program reminds me of what it’s like to be part of a unit,” U.S. Marine Corps veteran Richard Mills said about the event. “I had a great time, the weather cooperated and I enjoyed everything. The scenery is amazing and all the people on the trip were great. I couldn’t have had a better time.”

Mills and six other wounded U.S. Military veterans visited the Northern Catskills on Tuesday afternoon and met at the ASF’s Gwen Allard Adaptive Sports Center, where they said hello to new acquaintances and old friends, were treated to lunch, test-drove their bikes and were fitted for their equipment. After everyone was situated and ready to ride safely, the veterans and five volunteers hit the road for their first excursion. Tuesday’s ride began at the Windham Mountain parking lot and ran along Route 23, going west for an approximately 10-mile ride to the Prattsville Town Park.

The ASF shuttle bus picked up and returned the participants to ASF, allowing the veterans to check in to their hotel rooms, unpack and decompress. That evening the veterans met back at the ASF Lodge for dinner, catered by Windham’s Main Street Market.

Wednesday’s ride was a whopping 28.4 miles long, the longest bike trips the ASF has ever had. The WIM group started from the Windham Mountain parking lot and rode to Prattsville again for the first leg of the journey. After a quick water break, the warriors and volunteers then rode down Route 23A into Lexington, where they stopped at the Town of Lexington Municipal Building for lunch. The crew hopped back on their bikes after getting fed and trudged to the end of Spruceton Road in Westkill, completing the extensive ride.

The warriors boarded the ASF shuttle bus and headed back to their hotels basking in their accomplishment. The group then met back at the ASF Lodge for another dinner, courtesy of Main Street Market.

The event concluded on Thursday morning after a bike trip from the Windham Path to CD Lane Park in Maplecrest and back, a total of around 10 miles. When the cyclists returned to ASF, they were treated with a barbecue lunch before everyone said their goodbyes.

“They’ve taken good care of us here at ASF,” U.S. Army veteran Milagros Rivera said of her trip. “Good meals, they’ve taken care of us on the road, I couldn’t have asked for better service.”

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.

The ASF’s next Warriors in Motion event will take place in two weeks on May 23-25, and it will be the second of the two road cycling programs the ASF has scheduled. Thanks to donations generously given to the organization, the Adaptive Sports Foundation will be able to provide bicycle rentals (to those who need them), helmets, water bottles, all meals, hotel rooms, snacks, water, sports drinks, sunscreen, bug spray, ponchos (if necessary) and maps, both digital and paper copies.

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, visit www.adaptivesportsfoundation.org.