As I write this, I am up and restless on the red eye home from my incredible week with the Million Dollar Challenge.
The last time you heard from me, I wrote about the beginning of my week riding my bike from San Francisco to San Diego but that post did not do justice to the actual experience.
There were many individuals that made my week unlike any other ever in my life but I want to share with you some things I learned. One particular program driven by the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) caught my eye. It is called Operation Rebound and it makes so much sense that it is a wonder. It is open to all military personnel and first responders who have a permanent disability and served honorably. There are many quality programs that serve this group as well, like Wounded Warrior or VA programs, so what makes Operation Rebound special?
It puts a human touch on things that might not be. The other programs are life focused and they help you back into your routine. But they don’t fund sports. For many people, especially active veterans, sports ARE life. To have those taken away can be devastating.
Operation Rebound gives people with permanent disabilities a second chance at an active life. The VA may give them a prosthetic, but not one for sports. Operation Rebound would. Wounded Warrior my give them the tools for becoming active, but Operation Rebound actually gets them back in the game. It can do as little as paying expenses to an event or as much as providing a coach to teach you how to ride a bike with your new leg. That is huge for people that need sports.
We were honored to ride with some veterans of the War on Terror that have benefited from Operation Rebound. I have never felt more special in my life. I spent some time one day riding with a special forces guy and an amputee below the knee of his right leg who was riding with a veteran who is paralyzed from the waist down. They were riding a special tandem bike funded by Operation Rebound. One person used just their hands to pedal and the other used their legs and steered. Plus it has a handle so we can help give them a push if they need it. That type of custom care and innovation is what Operation Rebound is all about.
I am not doing the goose bumps I got then justice, but those two guys changed my life.
I was also fortunate enough to make some new life friends. I met a couple of siblings on day one when they went by me and commented on the fact that my cadence sensor was clipping my spokes and making an irritating noise. Twice. They were nicer than that but you get the point. They are two of the most generous people I have ever met. And they are Great Harvest fans, to boot!
What I heard from those two can teach us all everything we need to know about life.
"That face in the mirror you see each morning? People see it and deal with it. Put a smile on it and make the first words out of your mouth each day positive, and then the rest is just filling in the blanks." It sure is true and they live it every day.
But, the true meaning of the ride was captured for me at the lunch after we finished in La Jolla. My favorite athlete of all time is Bill Walton. He is a huge CAF supporter and was on this ride. And he is really smart, articulate, funny, caring and still my number one draft choice in the history of the NBA.
I met Bill in an elevator in San Francisco the day we started. At one point we get off on the same floor and headed the same direction. I look up at Bill (he is 6 inches taller than me and I am 6'5") as we are walking down the hall, chit chatting. I asked if I would be a groupie if I said I have been a fan since his UCLA days? His response was no, because you aren't that old. We looked at each other and grinned. My week was already special and we hadn't ridden a mile.
But, let’s go back to the finish. Bill travels with an oversized lawn chair. We all love Bill and respect his space so we don’t crowd him but knowing the chair was there every day made us happy. Bill was with us. The party was alive. The dream was real.
After lunch, I was loading up and headed out to go home. I was ready to get in "red eye" mind set. I had yet to take a picture with Bill because I just don't do that. But, I was soooo tempted. We stood next to each other in the final group photo and I figured that was enough.
So when I was walking out, I looked across the lawn and waved and grinned. I caught his eye. He pointed at me. I mouthed "Thank you for the ride of my life. It was an honor."
He mouthed back, "No, thank you. YOU made the difference. My honor." Then he raised his arms in that signature Bill Walton pose.
And he was right. I knew on some level I had helped everyone on the ride and vice versa. But that is abstract. Bill said nice job. That made it personal.
We all really can make a difference. But, the courage to actually take that small first step that leads to becoming the difference maker is easily the most important one. And it is the hardest.
Go. Now. Take that step. Make it a step that changes lives. Unlike some, you can. Every little bit matters. Just do your piece....
PS - I did meet the challenge. 620 miles, 7 days and 42,000 calories after I left San Francisco, I rode into La Jolla a different person. And a better one. Thanks for reading...
Peace.
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