It has taken a few days to be able to share the last day of my ride. Part of that was the chaos of traveling home to Las Vegas, getting unloaded and unpacked, and doing all the follow up chores that come with being on a trip. But there was also an emotional unpacking I needed to do. I have been flooded with people celebrating me and the accomplishment of crossing the finish line and to be honest, I didn't know how to handle that.
When I woke up Thursday morning it was just another day to ride my bike. I had met with the coordinators on the pier the day before so I was expecting to be shown in by Sgt. Woodhams of the Santa Monica Police Department. I knew the director was going to be keeping a path clear for me to ride onto the pier itself, and I knew my friends would be there to support me. I went down to breakfast at the hotel, met up with my friends, mom, and husband, and we went over the plan once more to make sure everyone was ready. When we were sure all of us were on the same page we gathered our gear, locked in the route on our GPS and four of us set off to ride from Pasadena to Santa Monica.
I was right on with the speed I expected us to keep but I severely underestimated the buses and red lights making our way through sections of West Los Angeles. I think we hit 80% of the lights red if not more. We had a time we were aiming to arrive and we were cutting it close. There was one rest stop planned at a donut shop along the route and the plan was we would take a break then the guys riding with me would head out ahead of me to reach the pier in time to see me arrive and give me a small cheering section. I waited ten minutes for them to get a head start but I started gaining ground. When I called Steve to say I was hitting the street where Sgt. Woodhams was waiting for me they were just ahead of my position. Luckily I needed to make a stop so he could sign a very special name onto my jersey.
When I rode up to where he was waiting I wasn't prepared for what I would see. There were three motorcycle officers, an SUV, and 2 side by sides staged to accompany me. I had a full escort. They determined I would lead the pack and they would simply be there for support. I started to cry and the emotion of the moment overtook me. I gave him my jersey to sign and proudly wore the name of a man who meant so much to so many but sadly lost his battle with PTSD. He was exactly the type of person the ride was about. When he finished and I was wearing the jersey once more we set off to ride the last mile to the end. Every time I pushed on the pedals I felt like crying. I couldn't believe they went so far above and beyond for me. I knew there would be the small line of yellow shirts waiting at the End of Trail sign for me though and I was grateful my friends and family were there to join me for such an amazing moment.
As I crested the top of the ramp I looked down but did not see a short line of yellow shirts. I saw 2 lines of purple flags, more waving in the hands of my loved ones, and a crowd of people cheering as I descended the ramp. Just as I was surprised but the turn out of the additional officers, who presented me with a challenge coin to commemorate achieving my goal, I had no idea that the pier director had spoken to people from the booths and businesses along the pier to tell them what I was doing and several came out to congratulate me. My friends threw balls of streamers covering me in confetti as I reached the end and I was able to raise my bike up in victory. The director gave me a gift bag of souvenirs and the officers all posed for pictures with me. A wonderful man who covers events in Santa Monica interviewed me and I was swarmed in a group hug. It was so much more than I could have ever dreamt it to be when all I asked for was permission to ride my bike to the sign. They all went so far past my expectations and I will be forever grateful.
I want to take a moment to thank some people individually. Jim Harris and Sgt. Doug Woodhams who made my day at the Pier unforgettable. The officers who joined us on the ride and surprised me into happy tears, I'm sorry I don't know their names. Fabian Lewkowicz who interviewed me and promoted the charities. The wonderful team at the hospital in Vinita, OK who took such great care of me both in the ambulance and hospital when I crashed. Tom's Cycles in Tulsa, OK, Bicycles of Tulsa, Wilson Cycles in Bloomington, IL, Celestial Cycles in Oklaohoma City, OK, and Two Wheel Drive in Albuquerque, NM for getting and keeping the bikes running smoothly. Liz and Alex at the Blue Whale in Catoosa, OK for making our stop even more memorable and giving me the dream of having my bike involved in the pictures even though I was recovering at the time. The people who took the time to chat with us along the route, donated time, water, and of course supported the charities, you helped keep us going each and every day. Adam from Redeeming Eden Youtube channel who met us out riding and interviewed me about my ride to share with his viewers. My friends, Nell and Cory Stanard, Duncan McCartney, RC Craven, for taking the time to join me and be a part of this incredible journey. Victoria Kaer who helped create all the graphics and designs with Steve for my Facebook page, car magnets, shirts and jerseys, and all of our handout materials. Hahn's Military Supply in Las Vegas for the generous donation. Each and every person who donated anything they could to help the charities. My wonderful husband Steve Boyd who not only accepted this crazy idea of mine but supported me, joined me on the adventure and was a constant push when I needed it. And of course, my mom, Gail Fournier. She was in from the beginning once she realized I was serious, gave up 6 weeks of her life to be here with me to do this, and was everything I needed and more while out on the road. There are so many more people to thank and I know I am forgetting them. I apologize that I am still recovering and please know that anyone connected to this journey in any form has meant the world to me, when all I did was simply represent a huge number of people who deserve to be seen and understood. I hope I made even the slightest difference as they continue their fight. Thank you for coming along on this mission with me. I will be going live on the Facebook page in the next few days to make the donations to the charities. I hope you can join me one last time.
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