ASFs WIM Program Goes Mountain Biking Next Week

WINDHAM, N.Y. – After hosting two Warriors in Motion® (WIM) road cycling events, the Adaptive Sports Foundation (ASF) is breaking out its beefier bikes to host its first of two mountain biking programs next week from June 6-8.

The ASF will be welcoming six U.S. military veterans to the Gwen Allard Adaptive Sports Center for three days of biking through the wooded trails that Windham and its neighboring towns has to offer. Layna Roth, a veteran of the U.S. Marines Corps, will be participating in her first ever WIM event, though she participated in a one-day ski trip to Windham this past winter with the Albany VA. “I want to see how in shape I am for biking,” she said. “It’s been years since I’ve owned a bike, so it’s been a long time.”

The warriors and ASF volunteers will meet for the first time on Tuesday afternoon at the ASF Lodge for bike and equipment fitting and lunch before they raise their kickstands and go out for their first ride, a trip down to Windham Mountain’s “Wooly Bear” trail, where there is a beginner mountain biking course. The participants will be able to test their skills on their new bikes on the dirt trail with banked turns. After spending some time there, the plan is to then head over to Elm Ridge Wild Forest to bike down the warm-up loops. Once they’re done at Elm ridge, the warriors will then check into their hotels and get ready for a catered dinner at ASF.

Wednesday is an all-day affair, as the ASF shuttle bus will pick up the warriors from their hotels and bring them to CD Lane Park for a morning ride. After biking through the park and through the woods, the WIM team will stop for lunch before taking the shuttle to Elm Ridge once again to rip through the area’s fun loops. Once they finish biking for the day, the veterans will return to their hotel rooms to relax and get ready for another dinner at ASF.

The veterans and volunteers will meet again at the ASF lodge on Thursday morning before heading over to the Tannersville Bike Park, where they will ride some downhill paths and perhaps participate in time trials in a friendly competition. The group will then hop on the shuttle bus to head back to the ASF lodge for lunch before departing.

“I’m brand new to adaptive sports through the VA,” Roth explained. “Last year I started with PGA Hope I stayed with that program, then I got to do skiing with the ASF during the winter for one day, which put me in contact with the ASF, so I signed up.”

The Warriors in Motion 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 WIM programs are goal-oriented and empower the warrior to take charge of their own fitness and wellness.

The ASF’s Warriors in Motion program is funded by donations that were generously given to the organization. Thanks to these donations, the ASF is 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. 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.