Saturday, June 8, 2002

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At 9:15 PDT, our bicycle wheels started rolling in response to an enthusiastic crowd who gathered in the Bloomingdale parking lot to see us off.  Prominent amongst those who gathered in support were representatives from the local Newport Beach newspaper.  Additional thanks to Melissa Garner-Mitchell and her mom who journeyed up from San Diego to attend to a myriad of details for media support by the Challenged Athlete Foundation.  Friends and relatives such as Greg and Carol Gushaw, Craig and Allison Eastman, Pat Scott and Joey, Joe Suggs, were there as well as new friends such as Michael, Lynette, and Baby John Dean.  Special thanks to Functional Amputee Support Team and its members who turned out and to Doris Austin, the support group president. 

Our ride up Jamboree Road was not the nightmarish traffic jam that we expected.  The fifteen mile ride to the Healthsouth Rehabilitation Center in Tustin took us one hour and fifteen minutes despite having to stop at every single red light.  It was a great warmup for Joy and Janette to learn the vagaries of support driving and protecting us with a buffer from all of the traffic.  We attained a top speed of 36.1 miles per hour (yes there are hills in California) but only averaged about 10 mph with everything else considered.  We were particularly taken by the great number of passing drivers who honked their horn, waved, and shouted their support.  People even came out on the street from local businesses to applaud as we passed by.  What an uplifting experience.

We arrived at the courtyard in front of Healthsouth in Tustin, California on schedule and were greeted with a sight of hanging balloons, balloons, balloons, clapping patients, staff members, amputees,  attendants and FAST team members.  Maureen Fakinos, the CEO of the facility was gracious in every way.  Talking with patients and enjoying the food was the highlight of our day.  Healthsouth really outdid themselves in making us welcome and going the extra mile to make our visit memorable for us and hopefully for all of the wonderful patients and amputees who shared this little bit of time that we had together. 

Of particular note of thanks goes to Ohio Willow Woods and Meredy Fullen who produced the ATTITUDE poster among numerous other things.  Business signing posters was brisk and someday they may very well become collectors items not for our images but for the message that it conveys to young and old.

A local prosthetist and cyclist, Majid Ashrafy, joined us on our ride following the visitation at Healthsouth.  What an interesting person.  He told us about his solo bicycle ride from Iran to France a few years ago and it was a pleasure having him tag along.  We wanted him to continue on to Virginia with us, but he said his boss would frown upon a little jaunt to the east coast. His counsel and advice on riding long distances was welcomed and we wish him godspeed in all of his endeavors.

We continued our ride arriving at Perris Valley Municipal airport where we plan to make our charity skydives with the Pieces of Eight, an international and world renown group of amputee skydivers.   That they have journeyed great distances to assemble at Perris Valley tomorrow just to jump with us is gracious beyond belief. 

When we organized this trip, I said that we would dedicate each skydive to an amputee in recognition of that amputee's ATTITUDE and success in life beyond amputation.  I believe it would be appropriate, at the start of our ride, to show my great respect for and to celebrate the lives of my two riding associates, John and Jerry.  Their continued influence on my participation in this endeavor we have undertaken is worthy of note and in some small way I wish to salute them for all that they have done and all that they have achieved.  Ride on!

To all of the folks at home who are following our progress on the internet, thanks for your thoughts and prayers and we'll write more in tomorrow's journal.

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