Honor Ride Tampa

Local Blind Veteran Challenges Community to
Join the Honor Ride Tampa

Annual Cycling Event Helps Make a Difference in the
Lives of Healing Heroes

Tampa, Fla., January 9, 2014 – Ride
2 Recovery will kick off the 2014 cycling season in Tampa on February 1 at the second
annual Honor Ride Tampa.
The Tampa community can join in the cycling fun at the Honor Ride Tampa to support and celebrate Florida’s
veterans and healing heroes and to raise funds and awareness for Ride 2 Recovery. The Honor Ride Tampa, presented by Chevrolet, is a self-paced, non-competitive
cycling event open to all veterans and the general public.

One cyclist that is
leading the charge for the Honor Ride Tampa
is Kathy Champion of Tampa. Champion, a retired Lieutenant Colonel of the
U.S. Army, is blind, deaf in one ear, and at one point was told she would never
walk again. “In 2006, I sustained injuries in Iraq that left me with weakness
and limited use of my left side. I then lost my eyesight in 2008 due to a virus
I had contracted when in Iraq. I knew that if I didn’t stay physically active,
that mental depression could take over,” said Champion. She was motivated to
try cycling as a means of physical recovery after spinal surgery in 2012, and
her mental and physical state has rebounded. Now, Champion rides and runs in
triathlons and climbs mountains. “Cycling has helped me learn to trust again,
and it gives me the freedom to enjoy the environment and be in the elements,”
added Champion.

 “You hear about soldiers
helping soldiers, but I want to pass that on to the community, where civilians
can help and pay it forward. One great way to get involved is to come out to
the Honor Ride and support the cyclists riding for this purpose,” noted
Champion. Lt. Col. Champion’s dear friend, Dr. Allison Campbell, will travel
from Washington State to be the pilot of their tandem bike at the Honor Ride Tampa.

 Other injured veterans
motivated to ride in the Honor Ride
Tampa with Lt. Col. Champion include U.S. Army veteran Pam Kelly of Pinellas
Park, who will be on a recumbent bike riding in her first cycling event. Kelly,
injured in 2002, won five gold medals at the 2013 National Veterans Wheelchair
Games as a member of the Bay Pines VA Healthcare System five-Veteran team.

Cyclists of all skill
levels can join in the fun and spirit of giving back and supporting America’s
veterans and healing heroes at the Honor
Ride Tampa. There are three route options, all of which begin and end at
the Tampa Convention Center in Tampa: 24 miles, 53 miles, and 86 miles. The balmy
winter ride will go through South Tampa to MacDill Air Force Base and back to
downtown; medium and long routes will continue through historic Ybor City and
east to Brandon and back to downtown. A highlight for all cyclists will be at
Rest Stop #1 at the Macy’s Furniture Gallery on W. Gandy Blvd., where there
will be special guests preparing fun, freshly-cooked, healthy snacks for all Honor Ride Tampa participants.

There is no cost for injured veterans to ride, and the general public of all ages is invited to ride. Sign up early for the best rates! Registration is available online through January 31, and onsite registration will be available pre-ride on February 1. Full registration information can be found at: http://www.active.com/tampa-fl/cycling/honor-ride-tampa-2014.

HONOR RIDE TAMPA EVENT DETAILS:

WHEN:                         Saturday, February 1, 2014                                  7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.: Day-of-Ride
Registration and Packet Pick-up

8:00 a.m.: Ride Start

Note: Packet Pick-up also available on Friday, January 31, 3:00 p.m. –
6:00 p.m., at the Tampa Convention Center, Sail Pavilion,
333 South Franklin St., Tampa, FL 33602 813-274-8511

WHERE:                       Honor Ride Tampa starts and finishes
at:

Sail Pavilion

333 South Franklin St.

Tampa, FL 33602

813-274-8511

REGISTRATION: Pre-registration highly recommended.
Sign up at:

http://www.active.com/tampa-fl/cycling/honor-ride-tampa-2014

COST:                          No cost to injured veterans to participate.

Register early for the best rates! The cost is $65 per rider registered by January 31; $75 per rider registering the day of ride. Teams of five or more are $50 per team rider registered by January 31; $60 per team rider registering the day of ride. A portion of the registration fee is tax-deductible. Registration includes: goodie bag with tech shirt, route slip, SAG support, fully-stocked rest stops, and a finishing medal. U.S.
Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) helmets must be worn at all times by
all riders.

To
contribute to Honor Rides: www.active.com/donate/honorride2014

Ride
2 Recovery, a 501(c)
3, helps injured veterans improve their health and wellness through individual
and group cycling programs at military bases, as well as on seven long-distance
challenge events staged each year. Cycling has proven to be a catalyst in the
recovery process by providing a new physical challenge while concurrently
helping to cope with the mental challenges. Ride 2 Recovery major sponsors
include Chevrolet, UnitedHealthcare, Raleigh Bicycles, USO, United Airlines,
U-Haul, Macy’s, Rudy Project, Saris Racks, and Heritage Bags.

For more information, visit Ride2Recovery or follow us on Facebook or Twitter at @Ride_2_Recovery. Follow
the Honor Ride on Twitter @HonorRide.