Helping Others with A Little Help from My Friends
6/15/2004 12:00:00 AM | Gymnastics
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by David Patterson
The Friday before our annual Ride of Love for the children of Camp Smile-A-Mile, I felt great, knowing what awaited me on Monday, June 14. In 2002, I joined Stephanie Wilkins on the ride she began the previous year. Last year we ended up with 13 riders and I was thrilled to know that our group had grown to over 40 riders this year. As in the past, the ride exists to benefit children that have been forced to deal with the horrors of cancer. My training had gone well, and I had put in more miles this year than ever before in preparing the ride. I was also looking forward to riding with coach Bryan Raschilla, former gymnasts Whitney Morgan and Kristin Sterner, as well as our team doctor, Jimmy Robinson.
Then, on the Saturday before the ride, I woke up and found myself with a sore throat, congestion, and a hacking cough. I did not leave the house on Saturday or Sunday, trying to conserve my energy. Monday morning, the day of the ride, I felt a little bit better, and was determined to give the ride my best, knowing that these children had faced far worse days in their lives. Sarah and some friends that came to see us off were obviously worried about me. David Truhett, our Sunday school teacher, sent an emergency email to those in our class requesting their prayers to help me through the day.
The day was overcast and we experienced some showers, but the sun and the heat never became a problem, and for that I was grateful. My struggles started just prior to lunch. When going up hills, my right leg was on the verge of cramping and I had developed a loud wheezing when trying to take deep breaths. On the steeper hills, I started using my right arm to push my leg down to try to take some of the pressure off and prevent a full fledged cramp from locking my leg up. I had experienced severe cramping once several years ago and I knew if it happened, I would not be able to keep up with the group.
This was a new experience for me. Last year I was helping others that struggled, letting them ride behind me to break the wind when they struggled. This year I was on the other end, knowing something extraordinary would have to happen in order for me to finish the ride. Several times as I began to fall off the pace, riders would have me get behind them and help me catch back up with the main group.
Soon after lunch, we hit some very difficult hills, and I knew I was in trouble. On a steep climb, while wheezing and trying to use my right arm to take the load off my leg, I heard a voice behind me. "Just relax and keep steering a straight line," he said. Then I felt a hand on my back helping push me for the last few hundred yards to the top of the hill. I had never seen or experienced anything like this, but I was grateful to be able to continue.
After a few other hills where I needed help to make the last few hundred yards, we came to our final stop. Thanks to Dr. Robinson, this was the first year we had an ambulance following us to support the ride, and it was the first year one was needed. I stepped into it and received a liter of fluids intravenously while the others rested and prepared for the final 16 miles. While I was hooked up to the IV, Ashton Wellborn stepped inside the ambulance to talk to me. Ashton is a young gymnast that developed cancer and we have become close with her and her family. When she looked at me she said, "Coach David, does the needle hurt?" All I could think of was the number of times that she had a needle in her arm, receiving chemotherapy and countless tests.
As a cancer survivor, and for the children like Ashton, I wanted to be able to ride across that finish line, regardless of whatever help I needed in order to get me there. As I sat in the ambulance, receiving the fluids that I prayed would help me finish the ride, I reflected on the battle these children face. I confess that there was a time in my life when I would have felt like I had failed by accepting help to make it over the tough hills. But the children of Camp Smile-A-Mile have learned this lesson at an early age ... that it is fine to accept help from others to help us overcome the tough times in our lives.
So, thanks to the encouragement of Stephanie and the helping hands of Jason, Brent, Paul and Dave and many others, I successfully completed my 3rd Ride of Love, helping raise over $50,000 for these special children.
Those wishing to support Camp SAM and the Ride can do so by making a donation at any Southtrust Bank location in Alabama to the Camp Smile A Mile Bike Fund Savings Account or by mailing a check or money order, made out to the Camp Smile-A-Mile Bike Fund to 3509 Foxtrail Lane, Northport, AL 35473. For more information visit the "Ride of Love" website at www.rideoflove.org.
