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worthy causes ROAR for Autism Set for May 1st Kennedy Krieger Institute’s ROAR for Autism will feature events and activities for everyone, including challenging 50- and 25- mile rides, a 10-mile ride for recreational bikers, a 5-mile ride designed for beginner cyclists, and a youth fun ride. Participants can also enjoy nature walks on the trails at Oregon Ridge Park. The popular Wegmans Wellness Village will be back once again featuring healthy foods for all families including those with children on special autism diets. In addition, the family fun festival will provide entertainment for all participants and includes carnival games, balloon animals and musical entertainment. For more information visit www.roar.kennedykrieger. org or call (443) 923-7300. Mark Trexler ROARS for Autism because… How did you get involved with ROAR for Autism? Cycling in ROAR for Autism was a natural fit for me. As the educational coordinator for the Kennedy Krieger High School, every day I work with children that have a range of disabilities including autism. ROAR for Autism benefits autism research which is close to my heart because of the work that I do and the challenges our students face on a daily basis. How many years have you participated in ROAR? I have been participating in ROAR for Autism since its inception 7 years ago and it has been great to see its evolution. How long have you been a cyclist? I’ve been cycling for close to 15 years. Why and how did you become interested in riding? I guess you might say I caught the riding bug when I began following Lance Armstrong. My family and I have always followed the major races and I watched my first professional road race in 1993 when Lance Armstrong won the United States National Professional Road Race Championships. I also began cycling because I was looking for an alternative to running and needed something that put less stress on my body. My brother really encouraged me to get into cycling and I began as a recreational cyclist, but as the years went on I became more serious about training for long distance races. For me, cycling is a family affair. We pass down and share our equipment, enter races together and are constantly e-mailing each other racing and training tips. Recently, I began coaching and training special Olympic athletes to ride in ROAR for Autism. How did you get involved with the special Olympic athletes? I first became interested because of my connection to Kennedy Krieger. I was looking for a way to volunteer with a sport that I loved to do and knew that the Special Olympics of Maryland Baltimore County (SOMDBA) offered cycling. Although the program had been dormant for five years, the sports director for the county strongly encouraged me to become a coach and help build up the program again. I had never volunteered with the Special Olympics, but thought I could be helpful because many of the skills I use at work translate well into coaching special Olympic athletes. What do you enjoy most about coaching the special Olympic athletes? The best part of coaching is being able to share the joy that I get from cycling with others. It is my hope that my athletes enjoy cycling as much as I do and continue to train for even longer distances. One of my favorite moments is the first time we all rode more The Will Group Foundation, Inc. presents the 2 nd annual Tour Frederick de Also sponsored by: August 12-14, 2011 the best of Frederick County, Maryland Proceeds will benefit: Visit us on the web at www.tourdefrederick.com for more information! 16 April 2011
than two miles on the NCR trail together. It was the best two miles of my cycling career because I knew at that point they had learned the enjoyment of the sport. How many special Olympic athletes are you coaching? What ride are they training for? Right now, I have five people signed up for the training program. Two athletes are returning from last year and three are new. They are all training to participate in the five-mile loop at ROAR for Autism. We are always looking for volunteers and participants, and I encourage anyone who is interested to visit www. somdba.org. What is your training regimen for the special Olympic athletes? Our training program begins one month before ROAR for Autism and we will be meeting at the NCR trail for our practices. This is a great environment for the special Olympic athletes because they see people doing the same thing and there is a variety of people training at all different levels. The mile markers are also very helpful. Each week we focus on bike handling and safety. At the beginning of each training session we stretch, and then I ask each athlete to look over their bike and check their brakes, tire pressure and gears. While we are riding, I explain the importance of hydration and the need to drink water during each ride which is its own unique skill. I also encourage each of the athletes to practice on their own one or two additional times a week. What advice do you have for beginner cyclists? A reporter once asked Fausto Coppi, a very famous Italian bike racer who won the Giro d'Italia five times, “What does it take to become such a great champion?” Coppi answered, “Ride your bike, ride your bike, ride your bike.” It takes years to build up the strength in your legs, but the only way to accomplish this is to practice riding as often as you can on the roads or trails. Cycling is also a great activity to add to your vacation or your weekend fun. Do any other members of your family participate in ROAR, the ride or walk? Almost every year I have done ROAR for Autism with my brother-in-law, father-in-law and my two nephews. My nephews were my biggest source of encouragement while riding the 25-mile course for the first time last year. What do you personally like or find special about ROAR? ROAR for Autism is the one time each year the entire Kennedy Krieger community gets together and celebrates the field of disabilities through recreation. Everybody comes to ROAR with a goal whether it is accomplished through fundraising and/or the goal of cycling, hiking and walking a specific distance with family and friends. How has the event changed in 7 years? ROAR for Autism has come a long way since its first year. I still remember cycling through the streets of downtown Baltimore when it was just a small event and there were only two ride options. Now, there are four different courses and it is accessible for all types of riders. The number of people attending has quadrupled. They have added a walk, family fun festival and have plenty of entertainment for those that are not riding. It has been great to be a part of this event every year and watch it grow, however we can always use more riders! What ride-mileage will you be tackling this year? This year, I would like to ride with my athletes for the five-mile ride and continue on to do at least the 25-mile ride. I will be very satisfied just to see my Special Olympic athletes complete the five mile loop distance. Why is it important to support this event? I think we are very lucky to have some of the top autism researchers in the country at the Kennedy Krieger Institute, which is right here in Baltimore. They are working hard to advance the study of autism spectrum disorders and this event supports the groundbreaking research that I am fortunate enough to see the benefits of every day. I hope that everyone can rally for this cause to support the critically needed funds for autism research. If you are interested in riding or just want to donate to a great cause, check the event out online by visiting www.ROAR. KennedyKrieger.org. Editor’s Note: Cyclists in the mid-Atlantic are very fortunate to have a large variety of cycling events that raise money for worthwhile causes. These events are almost always well supported, meaning in most cases a riders just shows up and rides. The rest, like a safe route, stocked rest stops, plenty of goodies, and a guaranteed good time, are taken of by the sponsoring organization and its many volunteers. SPOKES is offering some of these organizations the opportunity to tell our readers about themselves and what they do. The passion for cycling starts young… and lasts forever. The Bicycle Place – the friendliest shop in town. Let us help you explore your passion. 8313 Grubb Road, Silver Spring MD 301-588-6160 April 2011 17
Page 1 and 2: Serving Cyclists in the Mid-Atlanti
Page 3 and 4: On theCover Ride with heroes and Wo
Page 5 and 6: BICYCLE RIDE ACROSS GEORGIA 32nd an
Page 7 and 8: It was a day that pretty much finis
Page 9 and 10: F I S H E R D R E A M E D . T R E K
Page 11 and 12: town and bike valet/parking locatio
Page 13 and 14: public health people, and low-incom
Page 15: THE PERFECT RIDE NO MATTER HOW YOU
Page 20 and 21: Triathlete Doug Landau (right) was
Page 22 and 23: Behind Bars Let’s Talk About Bike
Page 24 and 25: COMMUTER CONNECTION by ron cassie r
Page 26 and 27: Progress Continues on Black Rock Mi
Page 28 and 29: calendar of events To be listed, se
Page 30 and 31: calendar continued from p.29 teur a
Page 32: SATURDAY & SUNDAY | JUNE 11-12, 201

April 2011 - Spokes Magazine

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