It’s been just over a month since University of South Florida student veteran Kiersten Downs dipped her bicycle’s rear wheel into the Pacific Ocean – a tradition for cyclists attempting to cross the country.
Downs left San Francisco June 2 with the goal of riding into Washington D.C. August 5. She tells WUSF News she’s on track but still plans to increase her daily pace from 70 to 80 miles. Her goal is to raise awareness for Student Veterans of America and to raise $10,000 for the student run organization.
We learned after riding for less than a week that Downs suffered a strained muscle. She attributed the injury to the new, unfamiliar terrain, new equipment that she didn’t have time to adjust to and riding her first day with professional cyclists from the Ride 2 Recovery organization.
“They really set the tone and gave me the motivation that I needed to ride,” Downs said. “On the downside, I probably exerted myself that first week a little bit too hard and I ended up straining my left quad muscle. That was sort of a blow to my ego.”
Her mom, who is driving the support vehicle and is a registered nurse, convinced Downs to rest for two days. That she said saved the rest of the ride.
The mountains and dessert are behind her now, but they have not been the toughest part of the journey, so far.
“Dealing with the silence because I have been on the road a lot by myself,” Downs said. “I have learned how important my community is to me and how much I need them.
“Sometimes I like to say oh,I’m a super strong woman and I can do it on my own. And as vets I think a lot of us have problems admitting that sometimes we need help,” Downs said.
A half dozen veterans joined Downs in Pueblo, Colo. for the day’s ride. She also is visiting local chapters of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) to chat with older veterans.
She estimates crossing Kansas will take three or four days. She has another meet-up with student veterans in Arkansas July 10.
You can follow Downs - the highs and lows of her journey - on her website BikingUSA.net , Twitter and Facebook.
