Wounded Warriors Sought for World T.E.A.M. Sports’ 2012 Sea to Shining Sea Ride

Feb. 22, 2012 - PRLog -- Holbrook, New York - Crossing North America by bicycle is an athletic feat remembered for a lifetime by those who accomplish the task. For disabled veterans who cross the continent with hand cycles and recumbent bicycles, the accomplishment is life changing.

In the summer of 2010, 16 wounded warriors rode with World T.E.A.M. Sports from San Francisco to Virginia Beach in the inaugural Sea to Shining Sea cross-country ride (http://worldteamsports.org/events/sea-to-shining-sea/). This summer, World T.E.A.M. Sports is repeating the ride, and is seeking qualified disabled veterans who are ready for the challenge.

Sponsored in 2010 and again this year by State Farm, the Sea to Shining Sea ride departs San Francisco on May 28 and arrives in Virginia Beach two months and nearly 4,000 miles later. By the time the riders dip their wheels in the Atlantic Ocean, they will have passed through 14 states and gained and lost over 110,000 feet of elevation. They will have passed through desolate and beautiful deserts, mountains, plains and woodlands, hundreds of communities both large and small, and met thousands of Americans from all walks of life. It is an experience that honors the veterans’ commitment to their country and recognizes their many sacrifices.

Through March 9, World T.E.A.M. Sports is accepting applications from interested candidates for participation in the 2012 ride. There is a limit of 18 wounded warriors who will make the cross-continent journey, so only a few will be selected. Participants will need to make a commitment to the full two month ride, and be physically able to travel up to 100 miles per day by bicycle, hand cycle or recumbent. Through the generous sponsorship of partner organizations, supporting corporations and communities across the country, food and lodging will be covered throughout the journey, as will air transportation to the start in San Francisco and the return home from Virginia Beach.
Interested wounded warriors should send a brief letter of interest by email message to World T.E.A.M. Sports at rides2ss@worldteamsports.org. A full application will be provided to interested candidates. This application must be fully completed and returned no later than March 9. Selected applicants will be notified by email.

The Sea to Shining Sea ride from May 28 to July 28, 2012 is one of World T.E.A.M. Sports’ premiere athletic events. Other events include the annual Face of America bicycle ride from Washington to Gettysburg, the Adventure TEAM Challenge multi-sport event in Colorado in May, and the Soldiers to the Summit expeditions for wounded warriors.

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For more than 20 years, the non-profit World T.E.A.M. Sports has used athletics to challenge disabled and non-disabled men, women and children to accomplish goals they never thought possible. At all our events – whether mountain climbing, biking, white water rafting or many other sports – four things always happen: (1) Disabled participants build self confidence and physical fitness; (2) The disabled provide a role model for other disabled citizens, encouraging them to take up athletic activities; (3) The disabled provide a moving inspiration to other participants and to spectators when they see disabled individuals can reach goals and meet challenges beyond anyone’s imagination; (4) The disabled and non-disabled participants become a team, working together to overcome those challenges. World T.E.A.M. Sports changes lives.