INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — They made the final push, pedaling their way under an arch of red, white and blue balloons, accompanied by cheers, applause and whistles. The amputees had arrived.
About 50 people gathered outside HealthSouth Treasure Coast Rehabilitation Center on 37th Street Friday morning to welcome the cross-country riders. Dismounting from their bicycles, the three riders shook hands with patients and staff members at the facility and shared quips from their journey.
“Getting up in the morning and putting up with these guys” was the hardest part of the trans-continental ride, Doc Milligan said, catching his breath.
The other riders could be heard saying much the same thing about each other, drawing chuckles from the patients.
The journey started with five riders but ended with four when Joe Sapere fell ill. He is recovering at a HealthSouth facility in Plano, Texas.
“We know he’s here in spirit,” Director of Marketing Darlene Silverstein said of the 70-year-old Sapere.
The men rode from California to their last stop – Vero Beach – a distance of about 3,500 miles in less than 60 days.
“What an inspiration,” Medical Director Jimmy Lockhart said of the amputees who rode as part of Amputees Across America.
Lockhart said it is difficult enough for people without an amputation to ride a bicycle from Sebastian to Vero Beach, much less from Orlando or Atlanta.
“I cannot imagine someone riding their bike this far,” Vero Beach Mayor Jay Kramer said, adding it takes a lot of will and stamina to accomplish such a feat.
“It was a pretty good ride,” Milligan said, adding that it was hot and windy in some places, which added to the challenge.
He said the riders are just “ordinary guys doing ordinary things” and have the same aches and pains that others would have from riding a bicycle the distance they have.
Milligan lost his left leg six years ago after contracting a bone disease years prior while in the Navy. Before his leg was amputated, he walked with the assistance of a cane or crutches, which limited his mobility.
After the amputation, Milligan’s leg was fitted with a prosthetic, which has increased his mobility and allows him to ride a bicycle, play golf, go to sporting events and enjoy other such activities that he was less able to enjoy before, he said.
Amputees Across America has sent riders on a coast-to-coast journey for the last 10 years, helping to raise awareness of amputees as active participants in high-intensity activities. They stopped at 19 HealthSouth hospitals along the way.
HealthSouth sponsors the annual ride.
This year’s crop of riders included Abel Cruz, “Boston” Bill Hansbury, Jeff Martin, Doc Milligan and Joe Sapere.
For more information about Amputee Across America, visit www.AmputeesAcrossAmerica.com.
