This May 28-July 28, a group of wounded warriors will ride bicycles, handcycles and recumbent cycles from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean. Hosted by the leading not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization, World T.E.A.M. Sports, the 2012 Sea to Shining Sea ride honors the courage of our military and the strength of the American spirit. Since the majority of the participating riders are disabled, the ride will provide a dramatic example that disabled Americans can lead productive lives and accomplish remarkable athletic feats.
Crossing America's Great Plains. Photograph by Van Brinson.
Though the exact route and stops will be announced in late March 2012, the ride follow a route similar to the 2010 ride. Participants of the Sea to Shining Sea ride will leave San Francisco on May 28, pass through the Napa Valley and into the rugged Sierra Nevada Mountains into Nevada at Reno. Crossing the deserts of Nevada and Utah, through Salt Lake City, the riders then climb over the high Rocky Mountains in Colorado to Denver, Colorado Springs and Pueblo. Heading east through the Arkansas River valley into Kansas, the ride will continue into Missouri and St. Louis for the Fourth of July. Following the celebrations in the heart of America, the riders head east through southern Illinois and Indiana to Cincinnati, Ohio and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. From Pittsburg, the group will head east through Pennsylvania and Maryland to Washington DC. After a stop in Washington, the ride heads south to Richmond, Virginia to the conclusion in Virginia Beach, Virginia on July 28. In all, the riders will cover nearly 4,000 miles from coast to coast.
At many major cities that the route crosses, community and media events will be held to publicize the event. The ride stops at American military bases along the way, as well as connecting with local communities of disabled persons in towns and cities it travels through.
Sponsorship support for the 18 participating wounded warriors will allow the riders to participate at no cost, including air transportation to the start and from the finish, lodging and meals. The ride is fully supported through sponsorship support.
World T.E.A.M. Sports is currently seeking a limited number of wounded warrior participants for the ride. These disabled military veterans should be in good physical condition, be able to ride a bicycle, hand cycle or recumbent cycle, and be able to participate as a team member in an incredible cross-country journey. If you are, or know a man or woman who is a veteran and who might be a good selection for the two month ride, contact World T.E.A.M. Sports by email query for an application. All branches of the service are encouraged to participate.
Funds raised in excess of the ride’s expenses will be applied to other upcoming inclusive athletic events World T.E.A.M. Sports manages for Americans who are disabled, particularly veterans.
Participants Support the Sea to Shining Sea Ride
Stuart Contant.
“Elated! Self-Confident! Camaraderie! Conditioning! These are a few words that come to mind when I reflect the summer of 2010 after riding a hand cycle and upright bicycle on the World T.E.A.M. Sports, Sea to Shining Sea adventure across America. There is absolutely NO way we could have done this without State Farm’s generosity. The support provided by State Farm allowed me the peace of mind highly needed to focus on the abilities left in my body after suffering paraplegia, traumatic brain injury and post traumatic stress after my Apache helicopter crash in Afghanistan. Thank you, State Farm and World T.E.A.M. Sports.”
Kevin Sullivan. Photograph by Van Brinson.
- Stuart Contant, US Army (Ret.), 2010 Sea to Shining Sea Ride participant
“The World T.E.A.M. Sports Sea to Shining Sea ride symbolized for me facing the impossible, which many of us on the team could relate to in our lives. As the miles passed, the ‘impossible’ became the ‘very possible’ and the focus switched from changing our lives to changing the lives of others.”
- Kevin Sullivan, US Air Force (Ret.), 2010 Sea to Shining Sea Ride participant
Nicolette Maroulis.
“World T.E.A.M. Sports has given me an opportunity to re-identify myself. People don’t look at me as just an injured veteran anymore. They now see me as the veteran that rode her hand cycle across the country and climbed a mountain in Nepal. These experiences have allowed me to see myself as a stronger more complete person. I am not just surviving after being injured, I am truly living! Thank you World T.E.A.M. Sports!!! I’m ready! What’s next?”
- Nicolette Maroulis, US Navy (Ret.), 2010 Sea to Shining Sea Ride and 2010 Soldiers to the Summit participant
“On May 21, 2010, a small group of cyclists gathered at dusk at the edge of San Francisco Bay. It was cold and blowy, with scattered rain. The wind kicked up flecks of foam in the Bay. The Golden Gate Bridge loomed above in the gray sky. The only note of color was the bright yellow of the foul-weather jackets the riders wore as they leaned into the wind, struggling across the sand toward the water.
Paul Bremer.
“Curious onlookers stopped and noticed that several of the riders were being carried down to water’s edge, while others pushed their hand bikes and recumbents into the frigid foam. The riders provoking this curiosity were taking the first step in a journey of discovery of America, and of the power within themselves.”
- read more of Paul Bremer‘s story, “The 2010 Sea to Shining Sea WTS Ride,” published in the March 2011 edition of the Potomac Pedalers Touring Club Pedal Patter newsletter
Explore our Sea to Shining Sea event website or view videos for more information regarding the 2010 ride, sponsored by State Farm. Additional information regarding the 2012 Sea to Shining Sea ride is coming soon.
“Two Shining Seas” Documentary
Explore the documentary “Two Shining Seas” of the 2010 Sea to Shining Sea ride by Austin Smithard.
Sea to Shining 2010 Sea Video Album
Wounded warriors on the 2010 Sea to Shining Sea ride.
