FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – Wounded, ill, and injured Soldiers will participate in a 101-mile bike ride on September 27 for the annual “Where Heroes Rendezvous”. The ride will begin at Fort Campbell and move through the surrounding communities.
There are more than 70 riders in the Warrior Transition Battalions (WTB) assigned to the Fort Campbell, Fort Stewart, Georgia, and Fort Benning, Georgia competing. They will be joined by cadre, veterans and volunteers who will share their support of WTB Soldiers along the route. The community can help cheer for riders as they ride past along the route.
This annual event, once known as the Bluegrass Rendezvous, was a 2-day event when Fort Campbell and Fort Knox Warrior Transition Soldiers combined units and rode from Fort Knox to Fort Campbell. Since Fort Knox’s Warrior Transition Soldiers are now receiving care by other units, Fort Campbell continues the tradition of the ride.
The Fort Campbell WTB leaders extended the ride to include Fort Stewart and Fort Benning wounded, ill, or injured Soldiers as part of the therapeutic but challenging bicycle ride. With a total of 20 WTB Soldiers from three installations scheduled to participate, the Soldiers have been training and preparing for this long-distance ride since April.
In addition, more than 50 cadre, veterans and volunteers will be participating alongside the Soldiers throughout the ride. Riders will travel through the countryside of Clarksville and several counties in Kentucky. The team plans to break every 25 miles for water and refreshment breaks, as well as equipment and medical support if needed.
“Our ride will help build camaraderie, teamwork and determination among Soldiers who are working hard each day to recover,” said Lt. Col. Heath Holt, Fort Campbell Warrior Transition Battalion commander. “We focus our events around opportunities where Soldiers can set difficult but achievable goals while building a support network around them.”
Soldiers participating who may need adaptive biking equipment can also participate in the ride.
“Adjustments are made for riders who are not able to make the ride on the standard bikes you typically see in a biking event,” said Lindsey Davidson, Fort Campbell WTB Physical Therapist and Adaptive Reconditioning Program Manager. “We monitor each person’s capability and make adjustments for the individual. This allows Soldiers to realize just because a task may not be completed as they did once before, doesn’t mean you cannot still accomplish the task. We just find a different way for it to be accomplished to allow them to succeed.”
The ride will depart September 27 at 7 a.m. from building 2114 Indiana Ave. on post. After departing, the riders will head toward Kentucky Avenue and 101st Airborne Division Rd. Riders will leave post through Gate 10 and take a left on 11th Airborne Division Rd. The first rest stop will occur 25 miles into the ride in Lafayette, Kentucky, followed by rest stops in Gracey, Hopkinsville and Oak Grove, Kentucky. Along the route, “Where Heroes Rendezvous” riders will pass by Indian Hills Elementary School off Golf Club Lane in Hopkinsville and then follow Fort Campbell Blvd. until reaching Gate 7 to return back to the Fort Campbell WTB Headquarters complex. Riders are expected to return to the WTB headquarters around 4 p.m.
Community members who want to support can cheer for riders as they pass by your location. Planned cheer points are Indian Hills Elementary School, Blanchfield Army Community Hospital, the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) Headquarters and the Warrior Transition Battalion Headquarters. For information on the ride see Blanchfield’s Facebook page.