IPMBA News

Semper Memoria: The National EMS Memorial Bike Ride

by Rob Collett, EMSCI #263, Poudre Valley (CO) Hospital EMS

My body aches as my legs continue to spin revolution after revolution on this contraption called a bicycle, but stopping is not an option.  I thought I had purchased the right saddle for this journey, but at the moment my buttocks seems to disagree. 

I’ve lost track of how many miles we’ve travelled today, but I’m somewhere along the Front Range of Colorado between Fort Collins and Colorado Springs.  It is the third day of the National EMS Memorial Bike Ride-Colorado, and we have travelled more than 100 miles by bicycle over the last two days with another 80 to go today.  This ride has climbed over 5,000 feet already, and “they” claim those were the easy days.  Today we are expected to add another 5,000 feet of elevation gain for a total of 10,000 feet this week!  None of this matters, though, because I am riding for a purpose far more important than my personal comfort.  I AM RIDING TO REMEMBER.

I imagine many of the cyclists across the country choosing to participate in one of the rides that comprise the National EMS Memorial Bike Ride (NEMSMBR) are feeling the same.  At this point, you may be wondering why someone would participate in an event that produces mixed emotions and physical discomfort.   Fortunately, this year I’ve been able to reflect on what the ride means to the participants than I have in years past.

I, myself, am a paramedic and a cyclist, but, as the coordinator for the Colorado portion of the NEMSMBR, I am also part of the “they”.  This was my third year coordinating the Colorado ride, but there are three other rides with people riding for the same mission.  There are the Kentucky ride, the West Coast ride, and the East Coast ride, which is the original and oldest ride.  All of these are multi-day, fully supported rides with aid stations and SAG support. 

The cyclists and support team members who participate in these rides are there for a purpose, and they believe in it!  They believe in the mission of these rides enough to embrace several days of fatigue, discomfort, and sometimes pain.  The mission of the National EMS Memorial Bike Ride is to “honor Emergency Medical Services personnel by organizing and implementing long distance cycling events that memorialize and celebrate the lives of those who serve every day, those who have become sick or injured while performing their duties, and those who have died in the line of duty.”  This mission is what compels people to travel from all over the country to ride their bicycles for hundreds of miles. 

Very simply, these people are a mix of EMS providers, families and friends of those providers who have died in the line of duty, and supporters of EMS, all of whom ride to remember.  They are not professional cyclists; rather, they are people who come together for a common goal.  For many, this ride will be the first long-distance cycling event they have ever done.  Of course, these events also attract experienced cyclists, but they come for the same purpose.  It is evident when you see stronger cyclists slow down to accompany and encourage less experienced riders, when they shed tears as the memorial bell peals as the names of the fallen are read, and in their faces as they read the biographies of the lost lives we honor. 

Throughout the ride, I look around at the other riders and see a variety of expressions and emotions.  I see fatigue, pain, and mental battles being fought with every pedal stroke.  More importantly, I see determination, pride, courage, and an unwavering resolve to complete their pilgrimage.  I recognize these emotions because I have felt them as well throughout our journey.

This year, however, I found myself focusing on more than the emotions and physical experience I shared with my fellow riders.  All of the cyclists, these “Muddy Angels,” carry dog tags every day and every mile, each engraved with the name of a fallen brother or sister in EMS.  The culmination of the Colorado ride is the delivery of these dog tags to the families of the fallen at the National EMS Memorial Service in Colorado Springs.

It was these dog tags that got my attention this year, and incidentally, it was on the third and last day.  Until that day, I had kept my dog tags safely stored in my jersey pocket, but on the third day I had chosen to wear my dog tags around my neck.  I found myself on a long stretch with no other riders around, and the only thing keeping me company was the light thud of the muted dog tags against my chest.  I began to reflect on whom I was riding for, and why I was riding for him. 

The evening before the ride, my co-workers requested I ride for a Colorado paramedic who had died recently in the line of duty.  Several of them had worked with this person at different companies throughout the years, and I could tell that it was deeply meaningful to them that a member of our department wore his tags.  I readily agreed to support my co-workers and picked up the small zip-lock bag containing his tags.

On that third day of riding, I began to feel emotional, unaware until now that a gesture so seemingly small had impacted me in a tangible way.  For the better part of a mile, I fought tears so that I could see the road in front of me.  Every pedal stroke caused his dog tags to strike my chest and remind me why I was really out there.   When I arrived at the National EMS Memorial Service in Colorado Springs, there were no family members for my fallen brother.  However, one of my co-workers who had requested I carry his tags was in attendance. 

As I handed her the dog tags, she was filled with both with tears and gratitude for the simple act of remembering her friend.  I saw the other riders handing their dog tags to the families of our fallen while sharing embraces and tears, and I overheard many expressions of appreciation for having their loved ones remembered.  It struck me that what I had taken for granted as a simple act of carrying two small chunks of metal was so much more significant than that. 

We carry the memory, the proverbial torch, of these providers, and it is our responsibility to keep that torch brightly lit. 

This is what the National EMS Memorial Bike Ride is all about, and what makes the challenges of a difficult ride worth it.  I encourage any EMS provider, family member of an EMS provider, supporter of EMS, and anyone with an interest in cycling to participate in one of the National EMS Memorial Bike Rides.  Although hills can feel like mountains, and the next rest stop is sometimes not as close as you would like, there is a strong sense of pride and unity with your fellow riders and the EMS community that is rarely felt elsewhere.  

As a bonus, there is plenty of enjoyment to be had and new friends to be made.  The Colorado ride takes cyclists beside historic Red Rocks, and we enjoy lunch at a local cycling hot spot called Mary’s Café and Market.  We ride past scenic views of the Front Range and Rocky Mountains, a setting which can ease some of the mental challenge.  Riders also participate in the Air Medical Memorial event in Littleton and are escorted through the streets of Colorado Springs to finish strong at the National EMS Memorial Service.  Those who have ridden with us in the past are often heard describing their experience as “life-changing,” and they comment on the new friendships that are cultivated throughout the week. 

There are too many sponsors to list here, but I would like to thank the University of Colorado Health System, EMS World, and ISM Seats for their sponsorship; the Poudre Valley Hospital EMS department for their support of the pre-ride dinner; the Poudre Valley Hospital EMS Honor Guard for escorting our ride through Fort Collins and providing send-offs throughout the ride; Penrose-St. Francis Emergency and Trauma Services for the post-ride dinner, and AMR-Colorado Springs.  Last but not least, thanks to all of the EMS, fire, and police departments which provide aid stations and support throughout the ride.  The National EMS Memorial Bike Ride could not operate without the support of its many sponsors, and the Colorado ride could not happen without those listed here.        

The 2015 Colorado ride will take place June 24-26, from Fort Collins to Colorado Springs.  Don’t have three days to spare?  You’re not sure you want to be on a bike for several days in a row?  You can register for a single day or multiple days, even if they aren’t consecutive.  There is also an option to register as a support person (“Wingman”) and help provide aid station and SAG support to the riders.  With so many ways to get involved, I hope to see all of the rides bursting at the seams for 2015! 

Even if you do not choose to participate in one of the rides, please take time to think about those EMS providers who have lost their lives in performance of their duties, and to appreciate the work you and your colleagues do every day.  Semper Memoria.

Photos:  Tammy Chatman, Professional Relations Mgr/PIO with Flight For Life, and Gayla Groom. 

Rob Collett is a division captain and IPMBA EMS Cyclist instructor with Poudre Valley Hospital EMS in Fort Collins, CO, a part of the University of Colorado Health System.  Rob began his role as the Colorado ride coordinator for the National EMS Memorial Bike Ride in 2012.  He has utilized bikes in EMS for four years, became an IPMBA instructor in 2012, and joined the IPMBA Industry Relations Committee in 2014.  He can be reached at ftcmedic@gmail.com

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Comments

  • Greg Shaffer

    I am planning on riding the East Coast next year.  I would really like to find a fellow east coast rider to talk with.

    01:00pm, 06/04/2015
  • Maureen

    Hi Greg - Congratulations on your decision to ride.  I will forward your message to Trish Jubinville and ask her to connect you with someone who rode it this year.

    01:24pm, 06/04/2015

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