CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) RESOURCE CENTER Read More
Add To Favorites

Peak to Peak Pedalers get some rest in Ridgecrest

The Daily Independent - 10/9/2017

Oct. 07--A group of cyclers from the US Adaptive Recreation Center's Peak to Peak Pedal event stopped for the night in Ridgecrest on Thursday evening. They camped out on the field at Desert Empire Fairgrounds, enjoyed a meal, and even got massages from Heritage Physical Therapy.

US Adaptive Recreation Center (USARC) started in Big Bear in 1983 in order to help people with disabilities enjoy skiing. The organization now hosts a number of programs to help people with disabilities experience the thrill of a number of summer and winter activities.

Peak to Peak Pedal has been a significant fundraiser for USARC for 23 years, according to USARC operations coordinator Sara Rosell. Rosell told the Daily Independent that the cyclists start in Big Bear and make their way all the way up to Mammoth. Along the way, they stop at Barstow, Ridgecrest, Lone Pine, and Bishop.

Rosell said that each rider, in order to participate, must raise a minimum of $2,000, which she said goes right back into USARC to provide equipment, scholarships, and training. This year she said they have 22 riders and 15 volunteers, who provide services ranging from medical to water supply to cooking.

USARC board president John Mattos is one of those cyclists. He said they had biked 80 miles just on Thursday. He himself was on the road from 7 a.m. to about 3:30 p.m. Asked if the trek is tough, he said, "Tough is all up in your head."

Though toughness may be in the head, soreness is certainly in the body. To ease some of that soreness, Ridgecrest's Heritage Physical Therapy showed up to support the cyclists by offering massages. Heritage set up four massage tables right one the grass outside of where the cyclists were camping, allowing them to rotate to the tables for free massages.

Heritage director Becky Bechtel said that Heritage has been coming out to support the cyclists of Peak to Peak Pedal for roughly 15 years.

Mattos said that the Peak to Peak Pedal typically brings in anywhere from $70,000 -- $100,000 for USARC. Learn more at USARC.org.

___

(c)2017 The Daily Independent, Ridgecrest, Calif.

Visit The Daily Independent, Ridgecrest, Calif. at www.ridgecrestca.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Nationwide News