Ride 2 Recovery: Day 6 — Hampton to Virginia Beach

Join us for our next events:

California Challenge – Oct. 4-10

Florida Challenge – Dec. 12-17

Day 6 was set to be a 35-mile ride from Hampton to Virginia Beach. During the course of the ride, the riders would be given a tour of Ft. Monroe, one of the most picturesque military bases in the world. It is also the location where the African slave ships would come to the new world in the 1600s and 1700s. While on base, we stopped to take the big team picture.

After the tour, we had a stop at the nearby American Legion post to load up the bikes to drive through the Hampton/Norfolk tunnel. With the help of the Virginia State and Virginia Beach Police, the ride restarted on the other side.

We talk about how the ride is very family oriented. Today was the perfect example of how the family plays a big role in the overall healing part of a wounded warrior’s rehab. For the first time, Nate Hunt’s wife took the road on a bike to ride with her husband. She had been secretly training since the end of the Texas Challenge so that she could ride the last day today and surprise Nate. She has been a very valuable member of our support team along with Patty Bruder, Leah Edmonds, John and Jessica Austerman, Neil Stewart, and Scott and Lisa.

After our arrival at our final destination, many of the wounded warriors had their family including their kids waiting for them and cheering them for the challenge just completed. It was great to see the cheers and tears for a goal accomplished.

For the final piece of entertainment, we were all treated to former “American Idol” winner David Cook in concert at the beachfront. Thanks to the City of Virginia Beach and the USO for the experience. The coolest part was when David Cook sang Happy Birthday to Patty Collins on her 40th B-day.

It was a fitting end to a great week of fun, riding, and making friends for life.

Now we are all thinking about California… Hope you all can join us…..

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