That was a good start to my day, but another highlight left a bigger impression. Coming back to West Bend from my own solo ride, I recognized a cyclist I hadn’t seen in a long time. Two years ago he nearly died after colliding with a car during a training ride. His list of injuries was so extensive that I don’t think I could remember them all, he now lives with pain that may never go away completely, and there are more surgeries in his future. But there he was, enjoying the freedom of the bicycle under perfectly blue skies and bright sunshine. He told me that the desire to get back on the bike had been a motivating and sustaining factor even in the early days of his recovery. And while his body isn’t always willing to cooperate, he still wants to challenge himself and look for new goals on the bike.
How resilient is the human body, and even more the human spirit! How lucky are we as cyclists to be part of a sport so diverse that it always offers new opportunities and challenges even when age or injury or other circumstances cause us to change our plans.
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