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By Doris Burdick
 A team of intrepid blind bikers crossed 240 miles of middle Tennessee successfully the last week of June.
"I was really brave," said Aimee, 15. Her sighted captain had pointed out where they'd taken a little spill last year. "I didn't give up."
Arriving at Indian Creek Camp after four days on the road, the ten visually impaired campers and their sighted captains had pedaled through traffic, varied weather, and natural hazards.
A rainstorm and a bridge outage forced the riders to portage their bikes across a creek six miles short of the camp, but they didn't let it stop them.
For the next three days, they joined other blind campers already enjoying a week of camp at that lakeside location.
"This second annual trip through the Volunteer State was very rewarding," according to Sonny Wilmoth, Blind Bikers Across America camp coordinator.
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After biking about 70 miles each day, the teams were more than willing to rest their tired bodies in a different state park each night.
The ride was widely recognized by local media. Wilmoth and some of the campers were featured on a local morning radio show, the Murfreesboro Daily News-Journal interviewed the cyclists, and the CBS affiliate in Nashville covered their adventure on the six and ten o'clock news.
"Our goal with these events is to equip young blind people with a sense of purpose, teamwork, and to give them a hands-on educational experience in nature," said Wilmoth.
For more information about this biking camp and others scheduled for the coming season, contact your area representative.
Still have questions? You may call Olga at 402.488.0981.
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