Wing leadership rides from mountains to coast

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Alan Abernethy
  • 916th Public Affairs Office
SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. --  It's no secret that cycling can be a great way to exercise, but it seems it's also a great way to tour North Carolina.

Members of the 916th Air Refueling Wing leadership team did exactly that as they participated in the "Mountains to Coast" ride, which began in Spruce Pine Sept. 28 and finished in Atlantic Beach Oct. 5.

Among the riders were Col. Gregory S. Gilmour, 916th wing commander; Lt. Col. Philip Heseltine Jr., Operations Group deputy commander and Maj. Thaddeus J. Janicki Jr., Command Post chief.

"The idea is to see North Carolina, stop along the way and see the sights," said Gilmour. "Goldsboro is actually one of our stops."

While this may sound like a walk in the park, it will actually be a great challenge. The ride includes nearly 70 miles of riding for seven consecutive days. Although experience levels vary between the riders, one thing is certain; completing the ride will be a proud accomplishment for all.

While Heseltine is the most experienced, Gilmour and Janicki are relatively new to cycling and have the steepest learning curve, said Janicki.

"I used to be a long distance runner," said Gilmour, adding that recent injuries have prevented him from pursuing this passion. "Last year, I totally went down, I had to have knee surgery."

It was then that Heseltine initially recommended cycling as a fitness alternative, said Gilmour.

"I hadn't ridden a bike in 15 years," said Gilmour, who added that he was initially skeptical that cycling could provide the kind of cardio workout he was looking for.

After a few tough rides Gilmour became a believer, he said.

"You put on your heart rate monitor and you're going 'Wow!' that's getting up there," said Gilmour, expressing his surprise in discovering how intense cycling could be.

Janicki also got involved with cycling after injuries stifled his pursuit as a serious runner, he said. Cycling gives him a way to stay in shape, despite being unable to run long distances.

The health benefits of riding have been great, said Janicki, adding that he had lost more than 30 pounds since beginning training for the ride.

"To me, this is an ultimate goal...riding across the state," said Janicki. "I've only been to the western side of the state once or twice."

All three riders said they are excited about the opportunity to see so many new things and stop in a new place every evening. The ride passes mostly through country roads and smaller cities such as Goldsboro and New Bern.

Those who complete the ride traveled nearly 500 miles by the end of the week, said Chuck Hobgood, president of North Carolina Amateur Sports, the organization facilitating the ride. More than 1,000 riders, from 32 different states, participated.

Since the tour brings such a high volume of people into each town there should be events and attractions at each stop, said Heseltine. "We will also be camping each night, which should be fun; I think we're all going to know each other pretty well before it's over."

The three agreed that sightseeing, socializing and camping were integral to the trip and that completing the ride was a very proud achievement.

"When we ride into Atlantic Beach...that's going to be a really unique sense of accomplishment," said Heseltine, adding that the group would forever be able to look at a map of North Carolina and know that they rode from the mountains to the coast.