Warriors in Motion Cycling Begins ASF Summer Program

WIM Participant Rhonda Liddell

WINDHAM — The Adaptive Sports Foundation’s (ASF) summer programming will commence next week with its three-day Warriors in Motion® Road Cycling Program, scheduled for May 5-7.

The ASF will welcome 10 veterans to the Gwen Allard Adaptive Sports Center on Tuesday afternoon. Participants will meet with staff and volunteers before a welcome lunch, a road cycling safety course, and fittings for bikes and other equipment.

Navy veteran Rhonda Liddell will be among the participants. With support from ASF Program Director Tony Vasile, Liddell recently received a new e-recumbent bike and is eager to continue adapting to it in a group setting.

“My new e-assist bike is a game changer. It really shines going up steep hills,” Liddell said. “The e-assist matches my power, and I set a personal record on a 776-foot climb up Colchester Mountain. It’s my goal to do six-day endurance rides, so this new bike will help me keep up with upright, younger riders in a group setting. Plus, the small boost in my riding aids in my recovery efforts.”

Liddell and the other participants will begin with a 15-mile ride Tuesday afternoon around Windham and neighboring towns. Afterward, they will check into their hotel before a catered dinner at the ASF Lodge.

On Wednesday, the ASF staff will transport participants to Hudson, where they will begin a full-day ride. The group will cycle 20 to 30 miles along the Albany-Hudson Electric Trail, part of the Empire State Trail, with a brief lunch break along the route. That evening, participants will return to their hotel before another catered dinner at the Gwen Allard Adaptive Sports Center.

The program’s final ride will take place Thursday morning. Participants will be transported to Colgate Lake and cycle back to the ASF Lodge. The net-downhill route will provide a more leisurely ride following Wednesday’s longer effort. Upon returning, participants will enjoy a barbecue lunch before departing.

Liddell said she is looking forward to the experience.

“I really enjoy the intimate setting where I can spend time learning more about a hobby I love while connecting with fellow veterans and friends,” she said. “Adaptive sports programs, especially veterans programs, have helped me find myself again. Participants are all about empowering one another. It creates a very healing environment.”

Thanks to grants and private donations, ASF provides equipment, helmets, water bottles, meals, hotel accommodations, snacks, drinks, sunscreen, bug spray, ponchos if needed, and both digital and printed maps.