Cross PA Health Ride and Kids Fitness Days

Day 7- Valley Forge to Philadelphia!!

2009-10-12T09:32:00.000-07:00

We had a very fun dinner on Friday evening in Valley Forge with many members of the Baldwin family coming into town to ride the final leg of the journey into Philadelphia. My father's siblings Mary, Cathy and Bill were all there as well as my sister Susie and mother Cindy. Greg Will's wife was there too, and Jeff's wife Peggy. The size of our team had grown considerably. We thought back to the small crew we started with back in Pittsburgh and the initial briefing that was held over coffee at Bob Evans just one week ago.

The final leg of the journey would take us 20 miles from Valley Forge to Fairmount Park in Philadelphia along a bike path (converted rail to trail) that runs alongside the Schuylkill River into the city. Once we reached the Park the plan was to congregate at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and as a group run up the steps of the Art Museum just as Rocky Balboa did in the movie Rocky 2. This is what we had all been waiting for! Following the celebration, we would head to the nearby picnic area and have a celebration and some words from local and national dignitaries.

At 7am I turned on the tunes and started blaring the Rocky theme song so that Mike and Dan would wake up and get psyched. We called Ellen and Jeff and blared it for them as well. After riding 400 miles, doing 7 assemblies, and braving wind, ice, cold, and rain we were excited to complete the journey.

The crew mustered at the parking lot off of Route 422 in Valley Forge to assemble the riders. All in total we had about 20 riders today, including Hans from Philadelphia Biking Alliance, Andy Dyson from Neighborhood Bike Works, my family members and friends. Friends like Navy Nurse Jesus Crespo-Diaz, Ben Allen, Got Your Back Network member Barbara Allen, some athletes from the Special Olympics, Melissa Johnson (immediate past Director for the Presidents Council on Physical Fitness and Sports) and her sister, and several others. We noticed right away how the degree of difficulty to stay on a timeline goes up with each additional rider that participates. Getting everyone squared away, and onto the trail took an extra half hour, but we were still on the trail head and off by 10:30am.

The weather man said that the rain was supposed to clear, and as we rode and the rain got stronger we began to curse him a bit under our breath. But what is the saying "Philly or Bust" supposed to mean without some adversity? With the help of Hans, Andy and Jesus who were familiar with the trail we were able to navigate safely through Manayunk, and into the Fairmount Park where we were delighted to find that Kelly Drive had been closed off to vehicular traffic for us (well, actually it was for a local 5k race) but it worked well for us too :)

We raced down Kelly Drive and the Philadelphia Skyline came into view and smiles glistened. Mike Montgomery did his trademark (well at least he thinks it is) Pistol shot in the air, Ellen breathed a sigh of relief, and Jeff pumped his fist in the air. My father rode up along side me, put his hand out and said, "We did it son!"
The Philadelphia Museum of Art came into view and we made our way to the historic steps. The crowd gathered with friends, family, and passerby and we assembled at the base of the steps in preparation for the run to the top.
I lifted my bike up in the air and on the count of three yelled Go! and we charged up the steps to the top. Somehow I was able to run in bike shoes and carry my favorite road bike from ORBEA over my head up to the top. It was a David vs. Goliath effort. A true testament to what a few people with an idea, a will, a desire to step up and have a positive impact on children, can pull off from a grassroots level. From up top looking out over the cityscape of Philadelphia surrounded by the solid people from Health Ride 2009 that didn't just talk the talk, they came through and showed up, in the rain, unselfishly, because they believed in the cause, care about the children, the healthy lifestyle movement, the future.

People like Tom Paese, Randy Vulakovich, and Kim Sokoloski from BIPC who gave countless hours of time in the planning and execution of terrific events in Pittsburgh and Mechanicsburg.

People like Danielle Sunday, and Lynne Zanowski from NRG Balance at Penn State Hershey who arranged the school assemblies throughout the State, and Karen and Jenna Lefever from the Neiman Group who helped with arranging PR.

People like Dr. David Nash, the Dean of the new Jefferson School of Population Health who along with Patrick McIntyre assembled a volunteer crew to staff the finale event into Philadelphia. We wore their shirst proudly!

People like Dr. Elizabeth Brooks, Dean of Admissions for Jefferson Medical College for taking the time out of her busy schedule to chair the finale event.

People like Robin Rifkin, Mia Temblador, Gwen Goia, Helene Eksterowicz and Andy Dyson who care passionately about their community of Philadelphia and stepped up to bring healthy food and drink, and employ inner city kids who want to learn how to fix up bikes and ride.

People like Melissa Johnson, past Director of the Presidents Council on Physical Fitness and Sports who rode the final leg, AND said incredible words at the post-event picnic about the reality that a grassroots social movement (similar to the Green movement) is what is necessary to make conscionable change in human choices with regards to nutrition, activity, and healthy lifestyles. We can make policy change, tax processed food and soda, make safe recreation areas available, but unless there is mounted psychosocial trend in thinking towards making healthy choices it won't happen. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink. That horse will only drink if it makes the conscious decision to do so, which is influenced by what he/she sees other horses doing, what social pressures he/she feels by seeing other horses drinking water.

People like Julie Moreno from the Office of the Surgeon General. Julie took time to come up to participate in the Panel discussion on Wednesday and came up to participate on Saturday in the post-ride picnic. She is the driving force behind Healthy Youth for a Healthy Future, and is dedicated and committed to this movement against childhood obesity, and I trust her word when she says she'll be there.

People like Philadelphia rapper Sterlen Barr, who on Friday told me after the assembly that if he and his friends and family could ever help out in any way to let him know and they'd be there. Well, I said to him, "what are you doing on Saturday (the next day) we are having a Health Fair in Fairmount Park?" Now how do you think most people in this world would respond to this request for help on a days notice? They would most likely stammer and make excuses. Sheldon: "Absolutely Andy, we'll be there!" And indeed he was, along with his three sons, and the entire dance team. They performed once again and brought positive healthy messages to many in Fairmount park that day.

The 2009 PA Health Ride and Kids Fitness Days is complete, but we still need your help. The costs of providing educational nutritional materials to the thousands along the ride's route were necessary to incur in order to have lasting educational impact in these areas. However the donations we have received thus far do not cover the costs. We are still $5000 short, and would appreciate any donation that you can make so that we can continue to do this health outreach into the future. If you make a donation of at least $50 we will send you a PA Health Ride and Kids Fitness Days T-shirt.

Please, please, please give here: http://www.healthride.org/donate.html

It is my sincere hope that others will be able to see the impact that ordinary citizens who care about our children, our future, can have if they pull together and work collectively in raising awareness and taking action in educational outreach to children about nutrition and physical activity.

Thank you.

Andy Baldwin

Special Thanks to our Sponsors who stepped up: ORBEA, Penske, HopSports, Muscle Milk, SPARK, COMCAST, Neiman Group, BIPC, Melanie Murray "Magic" Design, Kegels, Epic Tracker, Lifestyle Foods, Under Armour, Bear Naked Granola, Hampton Inn, Radisson Valley Forge, Lancaster General Health, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, Snikiddy, SmartWater and Jefferson School of Population Health.

and fellow Riders- Mike, Ellen, Dad and Jeff. We did it!

Day 6- Lancaster to Valley Forge

2009-10-10T04:13:00.000-07:00

Sleeping in my boyhood bed in Lancaster, PA I was awoken on Friday morning at 0530 by the sound of raindrops on the windowsill. We had somehow avoided rain for the past five days across PA, so I knew it was only a matter of time. Philly or bust, through cold, wind, and now rain. Bring it on.

We rendezvoused at the Hampton Inn on Greenfield Road in Lancaster for the start of Day 6- Lancaster to Valley Forge. The route would take us through the heart of Amish Country, by New Holland, and Blue Ball Elementary School (where I went to school up until age 12...no joke). Then onwards tracking closely to Route 23 East through Chester County and into Valley Forge National Historic Site where George Washington's army dug in during the Revolutionary War. After reaching the Raddison by Valley Forge we would load up the bikes and head into inner City Philadelphia for an interactive assembly at Hill-Freeman Middle School.

We picked up new riders at this point in the journey. One very special rider was my Aunt Mary- Dan's mom- who drove down from Rochester last night in order to ride into Philly with us. She is a multi-time marathoner and a super athlete studette.

Joining us today as well for the ride was Ben Allen, a long time friend of mine through the military triathlon circuit. Ben served in the Coast Guard and then went on to work as a SWAT Team sniper and currently is in the FBI. I was glad to have him to ride with today as "El Pistolero" Mike Montgomery had to take care of watering the golf course greens and was MIA.

Also along for the ride was Johnny Frattata, a teacher at Hill Freedman Middle School where we would be visiting later that day. A teacher who cares for his students, and is willing to step up and show his commitment by being active, is exactly the type of role model and leading by example that I encourage. Good job Frattata. You the man! You're biking the bike.

With rain drizzling on and off, we headed off on our bikes. Ellen was serious faced this morning, no doubt with sore legs, but refusing to complain or even give hint that she was miserable and cold in the rain. I must admit I have not met many women who can bike as strong and for as long as she can. There is a reason I call her "Sparky" that goes beyond the fact that she works for Spark Physical Education Programs. She's a spark plug and then some.

Jeff had a big smile on his face this morning. Philadelphia is home for him, so this marked a day closer to his goal of making it across the state. He was unmistakable in his bright yellow windbreaker gliding across the fields and past the cows.

It has been over 20 years since I was in New Holland, PA. That is where I spend my childhood years amongst the Mennonites, and Amish and also where I started swimming. There was not a pool there when I was a kid, so my Dad led a fundraising effort to plan and construct one, and by the time I was eight years old, I was on the inaugural New Holland swim team. New Holland recently completed it's first ever Recreation Center, and as we passed, we took the time to stop in and track them on the Epic Tracker and take a quick tour of the facility. Scott Houck is the manager, and he provided us with some fresh coffee, and bananas for our weary muscles. A gentleman working out there informed me that his son broke one of my longstanding records that I had set as a 10 and under at the New Holland Pool. I said "That's great!! Records are meant to be broken." I was excited. It was a true homecoming, and New Holland was continuing to making inroads toward recreation and fitness. Dan the Video Man lives nearby to the Rec Center so I made a commitment to him that I would get him a membership for his new found commitment to healthy lifestyle.

Back on the bikes we passed through Amish country, and saw Amish children on their way to school, passed horse and buggies, got up close with some cows, and didn't even notice the rain because it was so wonderful to be back on these back country roads that I hadn't been biking on in two decades.

I spent a good portion of the 60 mile ride today talking with Ben Allen about our mutual enjoyment working with kids and empowering them through sport and health education. Ben is a trained sniper, FBI agent and has many incredible heroic stories to tell (and some that he cannot tell) but his true passion lies in education and prevention. He, his wife and their son live in New Jersey where they both work full time, and also own a party and events company. We discussed our ideas for sports camps, races, and biking across other states doing similar active outreach efforts with children. There is incredible potential to influence children (our future) in positive ways which is the driving force behind my Got Your Back Network foundation for children of fallen soldiers, and also the Kids Fitness Days and childhood obesity outreach.

I had never biked through Valley Forge before, so as my Dad caught up with us, we were able to take it all in- the log cabins, Washington's Army headquarters, the stone houses, and I tried to put myself back there 223 years ago and imagine what it must have felt like. Daydreaming about this, the history ended and we were spit out onto Route 23 and basically right into the PA Turnpike. "Don't go that way!", Ben yelled.
We got diverted around King of Prussia Mall, and it was a quick transition from beauty and calm to the roaring highways and sprawling parking lots of cars and stores. Ben, Ellen and I got lost once again trying to find the Radisson hotel. I had to whip out the Epic Tracker GPS device and ask some friendly citizens at the mall for directions. By the time we got to the hotel it was 1pm and we had just 30 minutes to get into downtown Philly for the assembly.

Greg Will and Steve Shultz our Penske drivers navigated the Schuylkill Expressway and in the nick of time we unloaded the bikes a few blocks away and were off to meet the students. It was another grand cheering welcome into Hill-Freedman Middle School, and I was stopped almost immediately by Ali from ABC News 6 in Philadelphia. She was on deadline, so wanted a quick interview. I asked her to stay for part of the assembly. After what she saw she was glad she did. This was our 7th and final assembly and it would turn out to be the best. Hill-Freedman was different because it was a middle school, not an elementary school, and the students had been planning and putting an incredible amount of creative effort into this assembly.

The school P.E. and Drama teacher Mr. Weiner started out the assembly in grand style by introducing Sterlen Barr, a national champion boxer and rapper who after losing two of his family members to drug overdoses, decided to put all of his efforts into rapping about positive health messages, nutrition, physical activity, and healthy lifestyles. He had the school crowd of about 200 thoroughly engaged and then he brought out his friends who did hip hop dancing like I have never seen before. Everyone in the room eyes went wide, especially the Channel 6 news reporter. She pointed at her camera man to get that on film! It was incredible. The dancers were literally dancing on their heads, and performing moves of unbelievable style and flexibility. A handful of people came up to me and told me what I tough act I had to follow. My heart began to beat fast and mouth dry. I knew it......
What followed next I did not know about, and it made my heart beat even faster. The kids put on their very own Bachelor show! 7th grader Adu was the Bachelor and had five Bachelorettes to choose from- Ms. Pepsi, Ms. Large Fries, Ms. Big Mac, Ms. Tootsie Roll and Ms. Orange. The bachelorettes strutted their stuff and tried to sway Adu, and he eventually made the healthy choice with Ms. Orange who got the final flower. All the others got apple sauce :)

As they led into my portion of the assembly, Mr. Weiner showed a clip from the movie Men of Honor starring Cuba Gooding Jr. as Master Diver Brashears- the first African American Navy Master Chief Master Diver and the first to be a Navy Diver with a prosthetic leg. When I completed Dive School in 2005 I had the chance to meet Master Diver Brashears (a year before he passed away), and it was one of the most motivating and memorable times of my life. He told me "LT Baldwin, don't ever let anyone tell you that you can't do something. Perseverance, dedication, and the will of a Navy Diver are unstoppable. Hooyah Deep Sea!" Following the incredible performances by Sheldon, the dancers, the school Bachelor skit, and then this movie clip, I was wholly unprepared as to what to do with the students, so I just proceeded straight from the heart. I related my story from the end of Dive School with the students, and found myself almost at tears up there on the stage. I spoke with them about the work I had been fortunate to do with the Surgeon General, his program Healthy Youth for a Healthy Future, what that meant to me, and how I wanted each and every one of them to commit to taking the pledge with me to lead by example in the way they live, eat, drink, sleep and take the time to be active. I was blown away by this school's dedication, creativity, and sheer desire to get involved in a social movement toward health. Perhaps it was that positive energy that gave me the strength and ability to do the Hula Hoop for the first time ever that day. I tried the Hula Hoop once, and failed, but something in my mind, from somewhere told me to try it again. I closed my eyes, focused, listened to the drum roll of the crowd, and moved those hips, and HULA HOOPED! For the first time ever! I surprised myself and for a few seconds there (according Dorie Blacksmith) was completely alone with myself just transfixed that I had finally done it. Everyone in the crowd I bet thought it was part of the act, but those in the Health Ride Crew knew that I had been trying to do the Hula Hoop all week to no avail.

This was truly a special, special day, and one that I will remember forever. The children of Hill-Freedman Middle School inspired ME today!

On to Philadelphia and the Rocky Steps tomorrow!!!

Day 5- Fayetteville to Lancaster

2009-10-09T16:16:00.000-07:00

We began today's ride from the WalMart parking lot near Fayetteville, and as we were about to ride off, Dan Millisock (aka Dan the Video Man) came over to me and thrust his phone at me and said "It's Big I105 FM in Lancaster, they want to talk with you." So we did an impromptu radio interview with Big I105 (Murf and Casey) and listened to it from the Penske trucks. Did my best to psych everyone up for the 60 mile ride from Fayetteville to York, and then across the Susquehanna River into Lancaster County. At that point we would do an assembly at Park Elementary School in Columbia and then ride on through downtown Lancaster and on to my boyhood home to see my mother.

On our bikes, it was beginning to become routine- get up, eat, ride 60-80 miles a day with my newest and best friends- Mike, Jeff and Ellen, then do an assembly, eat, rest, sleep. I loved it! It was absolutely beautiful riding through the farmland of Adams county which then gave way to apple orchards. You could smell the apple trees in the air. An apple rolled towards me as a rode by, so I scooped it up, wiped it off, and took a bite. That apple was one of the best I've ever had. As Dr. Paul Williams from the PA Academy of Family Physicians said the night before- "an apple a day keeps the doctor away." So true, making that concious choice of what you will put in your body. You truly are what you eat. We passed by a huge Coca-Cola advertisement on a billboard showing a "Go Big, and get two for the price of one with Coca-Cola" and then on the opposite side of the sign an advertisement for Hot Dogs at the local convenience store. It made me want to puke. These high calorie, low quality food/drink companies claim they are taking action and making a difference in preventing childhood obesity. I want to see it. Where is the social responsibility to our nation? We need to subsidize healthy foods and make THEM convenient and readily available.

After seeing that I rode hard. I was pissed. When you are pissed there is nothing better to do than to be active, be outdoors, vent with a fellow rider on a bicycle, and take deep breath filled with methane from the cow manure on approach to Lancaster County. It is incredible how much the landscape had changed over the past two days coming from the Allegheny Mountains to the farmland rolling hills of Middle and Eastern PA. Out west at higher elevations the leaves were definitely falling already and changed color for fall. The foliage was still relatively green as we moved eastbound.

Our Teamwork had been improving throughout the week, and now it was down to clockwork. Pumpkin 1 and Pumpkin 2 (Penske truck sag wagons) would keep us well sandwiched and protected from fore and aft. The Blacksmiths would run point and scope out the turns ahead and rest stops every 20-25 miles. Cousin Dan would drive Dan the Video Man to strategic camera positions up ahead in order to catch the riders as they passed through. It became fun to spot Dan the Man, as we would begin to see him pop up behind barns, hay bales, and one time this day, I saw him with his big video camera in the middle of a corn field!

About 10 miles out from York, PA we stopped at Rutter's gas station for rest stop and fuel up. I took a picture and recorded some audio and sent an update to Epic Tracker www.healthride.org/tracker to mark our location. As I was sending it, I heard some commotion and a young woman came out of the store wearing big cowboy boots, talking quickly about how she knew Jenna from Harrisburg, how she was not a "creeper" and how she wanted to teach me how to country line dance. Ok.... So we proceeded to country line dance, me in my bike shoes and helmet, and she in her cowgirl boots. The owner of the store came out and broke things up and informed the woman that she had forgotten to pay for her coffee and bagel inside. Geez.....I tell ya.

I got a call from the York Police Department telling me that they would escort us through town. I thanked Seargeant Kline and let him know when we would be there. York is known as the "White Rose" City and Lancaster as the "Red Rose" City. Affectionately called the "War of the Roses" between the nearby towns separated by the mighty Susquehanna River. As we approached York and traffic became congested, we picked up the police escorts and proceeded through some shady parts of town. We waved and pedaled on, and created some mid-day excitement in York, PA. It was fun.

It was a steady downhill from York to the Susquehanna River, where we would have to cross a majestic bridge into Lancaster County, and then be in Columbia, PA where Park Elementary School is located. Lancaster Commissioner Martin joined us for the ride across the bridge as well as Channel 11 and the Columbia Police Department and Mayor. I have to admit I got chills when crossing the bridge back into my hometown county of Lancaster PA. The weather was perfect, sun shining, magnificent views of the river, islands, and York and Lancater Counties. We had gone 330 miles on our bikes from Pittsburgh and now was homecoming time.

The students of Park Elementary greeted us with loud cheers and smiles. The assemblies here were split up into grades 4-6 first and then an assembly following with grades K-3. I had to change my approach between the two groups, but that is what makes it fun and exciting. Evaluating your audience, the venue, and adjusting on the fly. Kindergarten kids definitely have a shorter attention span :) Ellen's Dad came into town from DC to watch the assembly.
He is a former Navy Commander aviator, who flew P3s. It was great to get to talk with him and I know fun for him to see his daughter doing the skate dance she does so well. I tried to Hula Hoop once again and failed misearably :(
My favorite part of this assembly was when I felt a little girl tugging on my leg, and looked down and she had it turned to the page of their instructional book that had a picture of broccoli. She said "Dr. Andy, Look! Broccoli! I am going to show this to my mommy so I can have broccoli every night too!" So cute.

After the fun flying excitement of the 5th and 6th assemblies we had done thus far, the trucks were packed back up and we mounted our bikes for the ride to our homes in Lancaster. It felt just like old times, over 15 years since I had been on some of these roads, navigating my way back to my boyhood address on Raleigh Drive in Manheim Township, PA. Coming in the door, I screamed "Mom!" and the dog Zoe and Mother came downstairs to give us a big hug. "Let's go get some pasta at Macaroni Grill", I said. "There are some people from the Health Ride Team that I want you to meet."

So over dinner at the Park City Mall at Mac Grill, Dan the Video Man and Cousin Dan used the crayons to draw a schematic on the table of our trip thus far. Lots of stories of lives touched, funny tales, and questions about the two remaining days to come on to Philadelphia. Philly or Bust!

Day 4- Everett to Fayetteville and then on to Cumberland Valley High School

2009-10-09T14:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we had frigid weather, and today we woke up to the gusts of howling winds. They had been calling for rain (based on the weather forecast that the Blacksmiths so dutifully put under our hotel doors each night), so as I gingerly pulled the curtains back at 5:30 am at the Hampton Inn in Bedford, PA I was at least happy to see that the skies were clear.

The staff at the Hampton prepared a healthy breakfast for us (thank you!) complete with turkey sausage instead of regular sausage. They said it was the first time they had don that in honor of the Health Ride and people seemed to like it. Good job Bedford! Thank you for your hospitality.

When I walked outside the hotel, I was nearly blown over (no kidding) by the gale force winds outside. It wasn't cold, it wasn't raining, but it sure was blowing. Luckily for us the winds were from the West, and we were heading East :)

We headed to Everett elementary to take off from our last point yesterday. The briefing took place and we had a motivational talk from Steve Shultz (driver of Penske truck number 1). Today was hump day. The middle of the week and it would be the longest and hardest day of PA Health Ride. The route would take us over 80 miles through Breezewood, over the Allegheny Mountain, and through the Buchanan State Forest to Chambersburg and on to Fayetteville, where we would have an early afternoon assembly. Then we would hightail it over to Mechanicsburg to take part in Cumberland Valley High School's heroic assemblage for Healthy Lifestyles Day. The day would prove to be even longer and tougher than anyone thought.

We (Ellen, Mike, Jeff, Dad and I) mounted our bikes and we were off feeling the blustery wind, hoping that it would stay at our backs. I made a stop after about 15 miles in Breezewood at a Holiday Inn Express to get on a land line and do an hour long radio show on WITF "Smart Talk" with Craig Collingsworth and the Head of Pediatrics at York Hospital, Dr. Paul Terkewitz. The interview can be heard here: http://www.witf.org/news/smart-talk/2133-childhood-illnesses-radio-smart-talk-wednesday-october-7

It was very interesting in taking questions from the community and to talk about challenges we are facing in getting our children to eat better, and be more active. Speaking with Dr. Terkewitz was great, as he is an avid cyclist and works for WellSpan Health with my former fiance Tessa's step-father. Excellent comments he made in the interview.

I then got back on my bike to chase down the rest of the pack. That was the longest radio interview I've ever done, so I had my work cut out for me. Little did I know that Ellen, Jeff and Mike had followed an informant named "Ross" through a series of tunnels from the old PA Turnpike that supposedly would cut off the need to ascend over the incredibly steep Allegheny Mountain. It turned out they needed flashlights to go through the tunnels, made some wrong turns, and had to walk through a lot of grass fields, but they made it. I just went over the mountain, and proceeded down trying to navigate the gusty winds catching on the rims of my ZIPP tires on my ORBEA bike. It felt a bit like coming down from Hawi during the bike portion of Ironman World Championships on the Big Island of Hawaii. The crosswinds there are so intense that it can literally blow you off your bike and into the lava fields (happened to me there in 2004). Safely down the mountain, I entered the Buchanan National State Park and soon saw the trio of rider ahead and went by them encouraging them to pick up the pace. "We have less than two hours to get to Fayetteville for the kids, and 35 miles to go", I said and dropped the hammer. The rolling hills and often headwinds now were unbearable, but once out of the park we turned East again on Route 30 and flew with the wind at our backs. The land was leveling out again, and we were soon in Chambersburg where we saw a number of riders from Summit Health Bike Club in bright green jerseys wanting to join us. "Sure", we said, and continued on towards Fayetteville Elementary. When we were about a mile away even more riders from Summit Health joined in, including a woman named Karen who started the bike club and is an absolute inspiration. She has breast cancer, and after having a double mastectomy this past spring, she still went on to do an IRONMAN TRIATHLON at Lake Placid this summer, just a few weeks later.
She is going through chemotherapy and showed off her bald head in pride as we rode to the Fayetteville Elementary School escorted by her whole crew and mine and the Chambersburg Fire Department firetruck.

Once reaching the school, the Health Ride team sprung into action assembling the props, music and giveaways. I changed quickly and was led by the Principle to a back room where there were a lot of media people assembled. Wowsers! It was a makeshift impromptu press conference, but we knocked it out and the outlets provided some great quotes from the kids. Check them out here:

http://your4state.com/content/fulltext/?cid=82651

http://www.herald-mail.com/?cmd=displaystory&story_id=231872&format=html

http://www.publicopiniononline.com/localnews/ci_13520316

We were on a tight timeline and I got pulled out of there and thrown back on my bike to ride onto stage. Mike Montgomery joined me as we rode out into the gymnasium to a crowd of roaring Lions from Fayetteville Elem. The program went extremely well, and we were able to incorporate the new Red/Yellow/Green traffic light sign that Steve Shultz put together for Whoa/Slow/Go. Thanks Steve!

The kids came up and gave hugs afterwards, and I had to again be dragged away in order to get in the truck and on to the next event in Mechanicsburg at Cumberland Valley High. We parked the trucks a few miles out and were joined by teachers, leaders, superintendants of the CV School District and Kim Sokoloski (lead organizer) all on BIKES! The wind was still whipping as we rode through the farmlands of central PA. Kim kept us moving on schedule and pushed the pace.

I got goosebumps when the band played upon our entry into Everett Elementary but nothing prepared me for this. As we approached Cumberland Valley, about 50 riders strong by this point, I again heard the sound of a band playing, but also the cheering, and up ahead I saw the massive crowd- over 2000 children screaming, the high school band playing, and all the CVHS cheerleaders lined up and cheering us in to welcome us to their school. There were people in yellow with EVENT STAFF across their shirts that tried to whisk me away after I had passed through the crowd, but I asked to stay with my team and say hello to the thousands of children. It was palpable excitement and again made me feel so happy to be from Pennsylvania and see this degree of school pride. After many hellos, signatures, and photos we took a tour around the various health promotion and wellness activities they were putting on throughout the school. It was so impressive, for a minute I thought I was dreaming. It had been a long day in the wind, 80 miles by bike, an assembly, but this energy gave me a push, and I was excited to share the message that evening with a Panel of Distinguished guests from the PA Depts. of Health, Education, Transportation, and PA Academy of Family Physicians. The panel discussion also included Julie Moreno from the Office of the U.S. Surgeon General. Senator Pat Vance started off the program by presenting the two Resolutions (one from the House and the other from the Senate) proclaiming the week of October 4-10 Children Healthy Lifestyles Week in PA in conjunction with the Cross-PA Health Ride and Kids Fitness Days. The dialogue at the Panel was wonderful and probably the best part was the question posed by a middle-school student as to why the only options he had for breakfast at his school were powdered donuts and pancakes with syrup. All I have to say is that heroes come in all sizes and it took guts for that child to stand up and ask that question, and I can assure you that there will be healthy breakfast options in that school next week and no more donuts.

To use a twist of a quote from Admiral Farragut, "Damn the Bureaucracy, Full Speed Ahead"

More photos here from CV Event:

http://www.cumberlink.com/articles/2009/10/08/news/local/doc4acdcf21ad3e0083671575.txt

http://www.pennlive.com/news/patriotnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1254968730167900.xml&coll=1

Day 3 - Somerset to Everett

2009-10-06T13:05:00.000-07:00

Last night we ate as a team in Somerset, PA and had some healthy fish and vegetables. We talked about the beauty of the land we had crossed over, the children we had helped inspire, and laughed at many of the funny and quirky things that happened. Pops gave a resounding toast and we began to go over the logistics for the day ahead- 50 mile hilly bike ride to Everett and assembly at Everett Elementary School. Danielle Sunday filled us in on the details. Once we reached Everett we would be welcomed on a bike by the school's Principal and then the Chief of Police would escort us through the town and according to Danielle we would have a big surprise once we reached the Elementary School. That's all she said......We all became curious.

Gary and Dorie Blacksmith (the advance team) gave us the frigid news that it would be near freezing in the morning at 7am when we took off from Somerset. So some of us made a pit stop at WalMart on the way home for some mittens, and ear warmers.

Up early at 6am we assembled for breakfast at the Comfort Inn Somerset (nice place). I loved having the Bear Naked granola (Kellog company) for breakfast with some Muscle Milk. Packed with protein and energy. Yummy. We tried our best to get psyched as we looked at the people outside using ice scrapers on their windshields! The bank sign across the street flashed 34 degrees Fahrenheit. Time to layer up. Thankfully I had gotten those mittens.

It was Mike Montgomery's first day riding, and he had his game face on. Even at 7am he donned his "Terminator" shades and tried his best to intimidate Ellen, laying claim that he would be King of the Mountains today. Ellen was not shaken by his bravado and she said "I am going to hammer you with my SPARK skills." Jeff stayed out of the trash talking but I could see his mind working and he wanted in on the King/Queen of the Mountains title too.

Mike took off like a bat out of hell, Jeff and Ellen following in fast pursuit. I let them go and helped my Dad get his bike ready, heart rate monitor on. And reminded him not to allow his heart rate get over 150 on the hills. I took off a few minutes later and felt the freezing air on my face and quickly could not feel my toes or my fingers. I don't wear socks when I cycle. Refuse too. I would rather do that and have frozen feet. I think it is the triathlete in me. Those mittens and ear warmers sure helped though.

I caught the group just before the first short climb and I pedaled behind as Mike charged up the first hill put his hands in the air and screamed "Yes! 5 points. Mark it!" Ellen and Jeff were still sizing this guy up with his Terminator sunglasses. We continued to push the pace, and were clearly making much better time than the past two days. Being on the pavement vs. the trail makes a huge difference. If we kept up this pace we would make it to Everett with time to spare. We passed by a sign for Shanksville 4 miles, and I was reminded of the tragedy that had occurred so close by when Flight 93 crashed just over 8 years ago. I couldn't help but imagining amongst these tranquil and quiet fields, a 747 screaming overhead. I took a moment to reflect and remember.

The frigid weather was biting and even though the sun came up the temperature did not. The views over the rolling hills, fields, barns and silos were spectacular. I crossed a Tractor Crossing sign with just a yellow diamond sign with a Tractor on it. Awesome! We saw the massive Allegheny Mountain climb up ahead and we all prepared ourselves for the effort to the top. Mike again took an early charge, I watched him go and stayed steady, Ellen and Jeff hanging on. It was a LONG climb, and I passed Mike near the top and over the crest. Behind us was Ellen and then Jeff.

From there is was expansive views out over the valley below, full of farmland and changing trees making it a mosaic of Fall colors- greens, browns, reds. Spectacular! Huffing and puffing, sweating under those many layers we all stopped to take it in. What followed was a huge downhill. What goes up, must come down. That is the reward for a good climb. We raced down the mountain and hit 50 mph. We were bombing down that hill like a healthy kid with a firecracker. At the bottom of the hill we reached the town of Man's Choice and passed a store called Guy's Hardware. No joke. Where do they come up with this stuff? Ellen shook her head begrudgingly.

We made such good time in the morning, that we reached the outskirts of Bedford (ten miles from Everett) by 10am. The police escort and Principal were meeting us in Everett at 1pm, so we had some time to stop and warm up a bit. The Penske trucks pulled off at a gas station and we rested and refueled with Kegels produce and Lifestyle Healthy Food packs. My Father took the liberty (unbeknownst to me) to bring along a few cardboard cutouts of me that the military commissary services had made this past year in a healthy lifestyles campaign. These things are life size and a use a photo from the Malibu triathlon race last year. He used this moment to bring them out, and stood them up next to the Penske truck at the entrance to the gas station. Ellen and Mike conducted an interview with (flat) me and I was thoroughly embarrassed. Well, Dorie Blacksmith has one at home and has it in front of her treadmill for motivation. So I suppose if it motivates, why not?

It finally started to warm up at bit by this time in the day, and we removed some layers. The sun was shining brightly. The ride to Everett was enjoyable and just as we crossed the bridge into the town, we saw the Chief of Police and the Principal awaiting our arrival. We exchanged greetings and they told us that we were still a bit early, and some hairdressers invited us in to see their shop. They wanted a photo with Dan the Video man. I mean why not?

Five police officers were there with two police cars to escort us through the town of Everett. The Principal was talking with people at the school, and we all looked around at each other wondering what was awaiting us. All in our ORBEA jerseys, Jeff, Dad, Ellen, Mike and I rode with the Principal through town. People waved and said hello. As we approached the school, we heard music, I looked over at the Principal and he smiled. "Hope you like our Band", he remarked. WOW! They brought out their High School band to welcome us to the school. I got chills as we rode in and saw over 500 screaming elementary school kids, teachers, the high school band, the local AAA baseball league mascot Steamer, and a welcome sign. Mike looked over at me and said "This is incredible!"

We quickly went behind the Penske truck and changed into our Under Armour warmups and PA Health Ride shirts, and came running back out to charge up the crowd. The mascot for Everett is the Warrior. So to start it out I had the kids give me their loudest Warrior yell. They must have heard that scream all the way in Philadelphia. 500 children screaming is loud (even outside). The routine with Whoa, Slow, Go went over well. One little girl told me she eats spinach every night. They cheered for water as a Go! and in response I poured water in my mouth and on my head. One of the children got the answer of 1 hour (60 minutes) of recommended physical activity per day, and was able to show me where to feel their pulse on their carotid and over their heart. I was impressed. Not bad for a 1st grader!

Ellen from SPARK led her fantastic dance routine, and we ended with a boot camp routine full of jumping jacks, running in place, and hitting the deck. REI donated a bike, and the kids watched in eager anticipation as the Principal pulled the lucky name from the raffle. The little girl who won, Jennifer, was so adorable and smiled large next to the bike. "I can't wait to ride this every day with my mom!" she said. That is the point in the day that I felt the greatest.

As the children filed out I gave them high fives, and we danced to the music. A reporter from the Bedford paper came up to ask some questions. Her first was, "Why did you choose to come to Everett? No one ever comes here." I told her that is the exact reason that I was there. Because I grew up in small town PA, and am passionate about reaching out to the children out on the ground, in the small towns, in the urban areas, all across the state. People in government can talk a big game. I'm more about being out in the field, and doing.

Day 2- Perryopolis to Rockwood

2009-10-05T14:02:00.000-07:00

I said yesterday that the ride from Pittsburgh to Perryopolis was the most scenic ride I had ever done. Well I must update that status, as TODAY was definitely the most beautiful bike ride I have ever done. Day 2 of PA Health Ride would take us from the Allegheny Passage trail head in Perryopolis through historic Ohiopyle State Park and town, and on to Rockwood where we would do a motivational assembly on health and fitness for hundreds of elementary school children at Rockwood Elementary School.

It was a very early wake up call today. 5:30 am and my Dad body slammed me awake, and shoved a cup of freshly brewed hotel coffee in my face. "Up and at 'em son!! Day 2 of PA Health Ride, let's go do some riding!" It was a predawn start and all uphill today to Rockwood :)

I took a quick shower (they had shampoo at this place), scrambled to get my things together, and met everyone in the lobby. Gary Blacksmith from our "advance team" handed me a printout showing the temps for the day, and at 7am is read 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Brrr.....frost was on the ground. "Anyone have some gloves?" I asked as we headed down to the start point. "Guess not." Greg (Penske truck support driver) had a desire to ride this morning, so Dan filled in for support and we fitted Greg out on an ORBEA bike. Ellen, Jeff, and I hit the trail which was blanketed in fog next to the river. Roy and Greg followed.

The first mile of biking I realized my fingers were frozen already, and so I alternated holding the handle bars with one, and putting the other in my armpit. As we rode through the morning mist, eventually we were able to see the sun trying to break through. Warmth was all we could think about. About fifteen miles in the fog finally lifted and unveiled sweeping forests all in multicolor with the river flowing cutting through the gorge. The bike trail followed this river bed the entire way to Rockwood, but as we observed, the water was flowing the other way, so we were going gradually uphill, and would continue to all day.

When we reached Connellsville, we crossed the river over a very cool wooden bike bridge, that dumped us out on the other side and we had to navigate around a construction site. One of the older construction workers with his helmet on asked me as I walked my bike past him "why do you wear that pointy thing on your head when you ride your bike?" referring to my helmet. "Well Sir", I replied "For the same reason you wear that helmet on your head, to protect your noggin." He told me that he rode a bike for years, never wore a helmet, even fell, and was healthy as could be. Well that's all a matter of opinion I suppose. We got back on our bikes and out of there as soon as possible.
From mile 20-40 of today's ride we passed through Ohiopyle State Park. It is hard to describe the beauty of this place. I have attached some photos, but that cannot begin to capture the "scent" of fall, the fresh chill of the air in your lungs, the sound of the water, the rustling of the leaves. I thought how I have not experienced those since I was a teenager in PA. Ellen, Jeff and I stopped to breathe it all in, and reflect.

We reached Ohiopyle around 10am. The town of Ohiopyle was our stopping point for refuel and there was a historical center there which showed photos of the construction of the Allegheny Passage canals, railroads, and most recently bike paths. My Dad and I rode across the historic bridge together and high fived.

I called Rockwood Elementary School (30 miles away) and asked if they were all set for the assembly. They were anxiously anticipating our arrival, and that got me psyched. We had two hours to make it 30 miles on the uphill trail, so I told Jeff, Dad, and Ellen we needed to kick in the afterburners to get there in time. The support team bid us farewell for now and would meet us at the school with the presentation supplies. We formed a pace line on the gradually uphill trail making good time averaging around 17mph. I stopped about 25 miles out to find a tree and evacuate. That taken care of upon returning to my bicycle, I realized that I had a flat front tire. Shizer! Got out the tools and spare tube to change it. I haven't had a flat tire in years, so I suppose I was due. I had the hardest time getting the tire back over the tube, and wrestled with that thing for nearly a half hour before finally getting it over the rim and filled with air. Now I REALLY needed to kick it into high gear. I had an hour and a half to go 25 miles to get to Rockwood in time for the assembly. Dropped the hammer and made it there with a few minutes to spare, soaking in sweat. "Where have you been??!!", asked the rest of the crew. Flat.....

The Principal for the Rockwood Elementary "Rockets" is John Hanes. He greeted us outside the school a little before 2pm. A relatively young guy, Mr. Hanes previously taught special education at Rockwood and coached their high school football team. Also greeting us there was Danielle Sunday from the Pennsylvania Association for Nutrition and Activity (NRG Balance) based in Hershey, PA at the Hershey Medical Center. Danielle and PANA have been instrumental in helping set up the elementary school assemblies across the State.

Hundreds of elementary school children filed into the High School auditorium which they used in order to hold the large number of students. Two local groups donated a boys bike and a girls bikes as well as biking helmets and they were there shining brightly at the front of the gymnasium. The elementary school classes had also taken part in a competition wearing pedometers, and totaling their total number of steps as a class over a week. I thought that was a great idea and commended the teachers and Principal.

The assembly was VERY high energy. This kids were excited and cheered loudly. It was fantastic. In the traditional format I taught them about "Whoa, Slow, Go" with food and drink choices, and taught them about getting 60 minutes of physical activity a day. I again failed at hula hooping and was shown up by a young girl and young boy. They also impressed me with their jump roping skills. I somehow got the jump rope they use for hopscotch (it was giant!) and they laughed as I tried to jump with the enormous rope. Ellen joined in the act with an innovative dance routine from her SPARK physical education program. She got all of the children and teachers involved. All of our hearts were booming, which is the major take home point for the children.

The finale of the assembly was filled with lots of smiles, giveaways, and acknowledgments of all that had made this day possible. We had traveled 110 miles over the past two days from Pittsburgh to Rockwood, and had now done Kids Fitness Days at a traditionally urban school and now a rural school. Both locations had challenges in physical eduction, and with accessibility and affordability of healthy foods, and both were making great strides in working towards healthier lifestyles and leading by example.

We headed to our hotel in Somerset, and there to greet us was my friend Mike Montgomery who today drove out the other Penske truck from Lancaster. Mike has been training hard over the past year for the PA Health Ride, especially for Day 3 which will be the most mountainous segment to Everett, and then on for an assembly at Everett Elementary. Mike better watch out. Ellen has been increasingly vocal about her desire to take "Big Mike" down in the mountains tomorrow. She chugged two Muscle Milks and said "Bring it On!" We shall see....

Day 1 of Health Ride. Pittsburgh to Perryopolis

2009-10-04T19:01:00.001-07:00

It's Sunday morning, October 4, 2009 and Pops and I made sure to sleep in with the long week of riding before us. So that meant up we got up at 7:30 am :)

First order of business was briefing of support crew about the day ahead. We did this over a healthy breakfast at Bob Evans. Our waitress (and pretty much everyone in the restaurant) had Steelers jerseys or apparel in anticipation of the big Steelers-Chargers game that evening. One older gentleman accepted my compliments to his Steelers tie, and he informed me that he wears it to church every Sunday. This is Pittsburgh.

I would like to introduce you to the individuals who will be participating and supporting the 2009 Cross-PA Health Ride and Kids Fitness Days. It is quite the motley crew of dedicated individuals.

Riders in addition to myself:
Roy Baldwin- my father, fearless leader, mentor, heart surgery survivor, and funny guy
Jeff Ostrowski- Lancaster native, now Physical Therapist in Philly. His sister is Lynn Zanowski who will be handling the elementary school assemblies in the eastern half of PA. She "roped" him into doing the ride.

Ellen Ormsby- Navy dad, Physical trainer, Fitness buff, leader of SPARK physical education programs for schools.
Mike Montgomery- my high school buddy, father of one and one on the way, secretly scared that Ellen will school him up the Allegheny mountains

Support Crew:
Greg Will- a guy my Dad met at the barber shop and asked to be a driver for the ride. He is a fellow graduate of Manheim Township High School (graduated the year I was born). Golf course architect by trade, he is also an outstanding Penske truck (the Pumpkin) driver.
Steve Schultz- went to high school with Jeff Orloski (see above). My Dad met at a Lighten Up Lancaster coalition meeting who the minute he heard about the Health Ride, wanted to help. He has done a great deal of support for his church group in the mountains of West Virginia. Steve is also very good with handwriting and penned the award certificates for the assemblies.
Daniel Millisock- a guy my father met on the golf course, and upon learning that he had just completed a degree in Film, asked what he was doing the first week in October. Our official videographer for the trip, he goes by the call sign "Dan the Video Man"
Dorie and Gary Blacksmith (advance team)- two devoted fans of the television program I was on two and a half years ago. They live in Carlisle, PA. Gary is a retired Family Physician. Dorie brought me Peppermint Patties for the ride just as a certain special someone did a few years back. Thanks to their satellite uplink connection and portable laser printer they provide the riders with up to the minute forecasts, directions, and news.
Dan Costello- my cousin from Rochester, NY. Dan just finished college at High Point, NC and has some free time. He wanted to spend some time with his uncle and cousin and drive a Penske truck for a good cause.

For some video introductions see here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhdsAK_96CM

We arrived at the Pittsburgh Riverfront location on the South Side an hour and a half before the beginning of the Family Bike Ride put on by the Pittsburgh Optimist Club. This five mile, flat, safe loop around the City's riverfront is held every year and attracts hundreds of children. It would serve as the official start of the PA Health Ride this year as well. As the children, parents, and grandparents streamed into the site on bikes, we shared with them the purpose behind the Health Ride- raising awareness about childhood obesity and educating children on the importance of eating well, and physical activity. Had a great conversation with Scott Bricker, Executive Director of Bike Pittsburgh about advocacy and funding for biking programs for children across PA. After giving my best shot at a motivational speech to the large crowd we were off. The 5 mile loop was scenic, and fun and I chatted with little kids and their parents and loved seeing their smiles. I also updated our status on Epic Tracker to let people following know where the Health Ride team was from a GPS location- www.healthride.org/tracker At the finish there was healthy food and water awaiting us. The official food sponsors of PA Health Ride are Kegels Fruits and Lifestyle Foods. They showed up with hundreds of healthy option trays with fruit, vegetables, lean meats and more. It was great to see that some food providers were willing to step up to the plate (this is for you Giant).

After our five mile kickoff, the fearsome foursome (me, Ellen, Jeff, and Dad) continued on our way South along the Allegheny Passage trail which parallels the Youghiogheny River. Say that three times fast. As a young Virginia colonist, George Washington dreamed and pursued connecting the Chesapeake Bay and the Forks of the Ohio River for trade and commerce. In 1828 the C & O Canal broke ground and over the years was dug and then later converted to the B & O railroad. The Allegheny Passage covering this ground is now complete from McKeesport, PA to Cumberland Maryland, offering 132 continuous miles over abandoned rail lines smoothly surfaced with crushed limestone. The Passage celebrates railroad engineers who built tunnels, bridges, and viaducts to cross the Allegheny Mountains. Volunteer organizations locally own and maintain the trail.

I can honestly tell you that the ride we did today was one of the most beautiful rides I have ever done. Never have I seen such a well maintained bike path, straddling a gorgeous river, with water bearing the reflection of the trees above full of leaves of changing color. You could smell fall in the air, and the biting cold of Pittsburgh earlier in the day, gave way to the crisp air and smell of foliage that brought me back to my childhood days in the woods of Pennsylvania. We passed waterfalls, historic bridges, deer, and friendly citizens Steeler fans offering water (and beer).

The trail is well marked and I recall around mile 30 we came to a halt as Jeff had the first casualty of the ride- a flat tire. As we helped him change the tube, I looked out again at the river, the forest and listened the peaceful quiet. The only thing that was audible was the flow of the river passing us by. Do people know that these quaint towns, this gorgeous trail, and these picturesque forests exist?? I surely did not until today. I felt thankful that I was out of the hustle and bustle of the big city to big city life and had the opportunity to be surrounded by nature, and a passage with so much history associated with it. A passage through Pennsylvania, a passage through history. This is Forgotten America.

Check out this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfDMv9lvrNM

The sun came out and we continued on for the final twenty miles through towns like Sutersville, West Newton, and Whitset, and finally to our stopping point for the day in Perryopolis. There is an extremely steep climb from the trail up to the town of Perryopolis, so we were all thoroughly excited to see a big yellow truck ahead at the trail head and Dan the Video Man poised to take some finish line shots, and the Blacksmiths ready with some Peppermint Patties. Complete! Well done. Ellen and Jeff came across the line, you tore it up on the trail today. Good job! Dad and Dan finished a bit later, and were in jovial spirits with their Muscle Milk.

The ride continues along this trail tomorrow from Perryopolis to Rockwood, where we will be doing our second Kids Fitness Day assembly at Rockwood Elementary School. Time to get some rest!

We desperately need donations in order to provide educational booklets on nutrition and activity to the thousands of children we are visiting this week. Please, any amount helps. Education and understanding why healthy lifestyles are so important goes a long way in helping to prevent overweight and obesity in children- our future.
Please donate here: http://www.healthride.org/donate.html

Thanks. Dr. Andy Baldwin

Lincoln School Healthy Lifestyles Day - Pittsburgh

2009-10-03T10:19:00.000-07:00

On Friday, October 2 we had the inaugural Kids Fitness Day school assembly in Pittsburgh at Lincoln K-8 School. My father and I were joined by Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and Steelers Hall of Famer Lynn Swann. It was quite a morning......

We had arrived in Pittsburgh late the night before, and it seemed like I had hardly laid down, when my Dad was shaking me awake at 5am. "Son, get up, we need to get this standup sponsor decal stuck on the poster board." I sleepily shook my head, and brewed some of the weak coffee from the budget Extended Stay motel we were staying south of Pittsburgh in West Mifflin. "I'll do it after I take a shower," I said. Well, I was surprised for a second time that morning, when I realized this motel was SO low budget they didn't even have shampoo. Well, I suppose that is what happens when you aren't able to make your budget for an educational outreach charity ride due to lack of donations. Denied by the massive health care insurance companies who claim they support grass root efforts to promote healthy lifestyles. Whatever I thought, it's for the kids, and went ahead and used the soap as shampoo.

You know the fancy logo boards that they use on the red carpet for premieres and NASCAR races to feature sponsors? Well I wanted to give some love to those who DID sponsor our efforts so we tried our best. One of the local labeling companies in Lancaster offered to print out a sticky sheet with the logos and we thought we could just attach this to poster board. At 5:15 am my Pops and I attempted that, and well.....let's just say it was quite an endeavor. We both worked up quite a sweat (no A/C in room) by the the time we finished and there were just a few wrinkles and air pockets. But we tried!

6 am we were out of our "suite" and in the big Penske rental truck, bikes in the back (and sponsor board) headed to Melon Park in Pittsburgh to meet our event coordinator, Randy Vulakovich, for the pre-event briefing. Navigating through traffic was a nightmare, but made much easier thanks to an IPhone equipped with an innovative GPS program called EPIC TRACKER. With Epic Tracker not only are we going to be able to give photo, audio, text and GPS coordinates throughout the ride, but on the screen it also provides an incredible map display of current location in real time. This technology would turn out to be (almost) foolproof in helping us reach our destination that morning. I say almost because at one point it directed us down a BUS lane into the BUS terminal and we got pulled over in that big PENSKE truck of ours by a Pittsburgh Police Officer. No matter, it actually was the quickest route and the cop ended up escorting us to Melon Park after we told him that we were headed to meet the Mayor and talk to elementary school kids (and that we were STEELERS fans).

The sky was threatening rain as we pulled into Melon Park and started to assemble the bikes for the Mayor and his entourage. Eddy Jones from Pittsburgh Public Schools arrived to join us on our ride. Eddy has spearheaded the program called "Pittsburgh Promise" which promises financing of college for every public school student in Pittsburgh. Now THAT is commitment to education! Lynn Swan arrived next in his truck and flashed his trademark smile. Lynn is an incredible human being. He helped the Steelers win 4 Super Bowl titles, and then went on to a successful broadcasting career, and helped inspire millions to live healthy lifestyles as Chairman of the Presidents Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. It was an honor to have him with us for the assembly at Lincoln. Mayor Luke Ravenstahl arrived a few minutes later, and if the readers don't know, the Mayor of Pittsburgh is unique in that he is the youngest Mayor of a major city at the age of 29.

Three years my younger, Mayor Ravenstahl cares passionately about the health of his city. Under his helm Pittsburgh has put in the first bike lanes ever on major streets, renovated the three rivers park area on the south side making it bike friendly, and appointed the first ever directors for pedestrian/biking, urban forestry, and health promotion. I like this guy. Plus, in all of the Healthy Youth for a Healthy Future events I have done

over the past year, not ONCE has a Mayor ridden his bike with me.

We unveiled the Sponsor Board that we sweated to put together at 5 am, and quickly took some photos in front of it, and then donned our Health Ride t-shirts, mounting our bikes, and started off toward Lincoln K-8 school. Lynn led the way down the bike path. We had beat the rain! On the way the Mayor told me about how he officially changed his name to Luke Steelerstahl when the Steelers played the Baltimore Ravens last year. I had quite a chuckle.

I never know quite what to expect when I go into a Healthy Lifestyles assembly experience. EVERY school is different, and with Lincoln I definitely didn't know what to expect as I had received very little info beforehand. The school organizer Janet had told our "on the ground" coordinator Randy that she had everything taken care of. She was not kidding. The moment Lynn, the Mayor, Eddy and I rode into the school parking lot, we heard cheers of "Fit For Life! Fit For Life!" coming from the entrance to the school, and that's when we saw the Lincoln Lions cheerleaders forming a perfect entrance for us.

We were all smiles. As we entered the school with our bikes,

helmets still on, we met the Principal Dr. Regina Holley, and then my eyes grew wide and my smile even wider. I looked down a long hallway lining the walls were hundreds of children, elementary school age, smiling and with their hands out to welcome us and give us a high-5! I love it! The energy, the excitement, it made me want to be back in elementary school again! Don't you miss assemblies??!! Click on this article.

The children orderly assembled in the gymnasium and we took a seat up on stage. I was in a mild state of shock, as I was not expecting this degree of a welcome. I looked toward my father and saw him looking out at the crowd of children and just beaming. It had been a number of years since I had seen that look, and it made me feel happy.

All the hard work over the past year he has put into this Health Ride and Kids Fitness Days and now it was actually coming to fruition. He's the best leader I have ever known. Driven by service to others. Community.

The gymnasium was filled with so much excitement and energy, yet the children sat quietly and obediently. I was impressed. Signs of good leadership from the top, and I nodded to Principal Holley. The assembly got under way with introductions by the Student Council leaders and comments from Mayor Ravenstahl on the bike trails around Pittsburgh. When I was introduced

I talked with the children about growing up in Pennsylvania, talked about how my father and I rode bikes together, asked the children if they had bikes, and encouraged them to go ask their loved ones to go biking with them. I spoke about the Presidents Challenge program on physical fitness. At this point I made the surprise introduction of Lynn Swann as he was the past Chairman for the President on this Council. The students went wild!

The major take home points I try make sink in when I do assemblies for Healthy Youth for a Healthy Future are 1) empowering them to understand that they have control of

what they choose to eat, and drink, and how much activity they get each day, and can educate their parents on this 2) understanding what foods/drink are Whoa (not good for you), Slow (ok sometimes), and Go! (healthy) and 3) to get 60 minutes physical activity a day, and that getting that heart going, anyway you choose to move is the key.

I convey these themes by asking the children to give examples of Whoa, Slow, and Go food/drinks. We went through the typical examples for Whoa! foods like candy, cake, twinkies, chips, etc. I asked the question about drinks trying to elicit the answer of soda. When I asked one little boy he replied "Beer!" "Whoa is right!" I said. Wow, I had never heard that response before :) "Whoa Whoa no Beer, especially for you all." Finally the soda answer came and I tried to reinforce how water is the best thing to drink, for sure, and I handed out some SmartWater to the kids.

The physical activity portion of the assembly is always fun as I educate them on where their heart is located and have them try and feel their heartbeat. When sitting down it is a slower beat and tough to feel. After getting up and active, they have no problem feeling their heart beat, and this connects the type of heart beat they should be experiencing 60 minutes per day- cardio.

The other component of activity is building strong bones, and muscles through self body resistance - pushups, situps, and pullups. I had some volunteers do their best at pushups, jump roping, some did jumping jacks, and we all danced together as a group, even the teachers (and some of the media). One thing that I simply have never mastered is the hula hoop. I tried for the students and failed. So I asked Hall of Famer Lynn Swann to show me. He came down of the stage and gave it his best and he failed. Then we had a boy and girl show us up as they hula hooped time after time. That's the lesson, if you try and fail, get up and try, try again. It is better to have tried and failed, than to never have tried at all. And with persistence you will succeed. (NOTE: After a year of trying to Hula Hoop, I am still trying).

The assembly wrapped up with a surprise, as the Principal awarded two brand new bikes to a boy and a girl selected by raffle from a group that had 80% school attendance.

I liked this as it rewarded positive behavior by students. I thanked the school leaders and gave Certificates of Leadership in Healthy Lifestyles to Lynn Swann, the Mayor, Principal Holley, and organizer Janet.

It was an outstanding way to start the PA Health Ride and Kids Fitness Days. 420 miles of biking in the week ahead, and thousands of interactions with smiling children still to come across the great State of Pennsylvania.

Just remember, "Whoa, Slow, Go" and 60 minutes per day.

And to clarify, for adults I consider beer a "slow" (Sometimes option)...even with a Lincoln...

Inspiration, Family, PA Pride, and a Bike

2009-09-29T18:16:00.001-07:00

I will never forget my 10th Birthday. No more single digits. I was now a MAN. At least that's what my Dad told me that cold February 5 in 1987 as we walked through the revolving doors into SEARS located in the big mall in the city of Lancaster, PA. At least it seemed big at the time :) That day my Pops told me to get into the family car (a Datsun) out in Amish country and (as he so typically does) did not tell me where we were going.

"You're a MAN now, son!", he bellowed. "You know what that means??" I shook my head no. "That means you need a road bike. No more big wheels, or BMX bikes, you need a 10-speed with gears so we can go on bike rides together, father and son."

And that is how it began. That day I got a steel framed navy blue, good 'ol fashioned road bike (I think it cost 50 bucks) and thus started my father and my relationship of riding bikes together. Over the ensuing years of my adolescence we biked many miles together through the non-judging farm fields of Pennsylvania. Together, father and son, we discussed many of life's topics and struggles, fears, joys, questions that a young teenager goes through and looks to a father, a role model, a leader, a mentor for answers. There was a peacefulness of being on that blue steel bike, riding next to my pops, alongside nature, bees, birds, and cornstalks. Through these rides I not only gained physical strength, but also I grew stronger mentally, and confidently through the lessons my father taught me. I could tell how much he enjoyed the bike rides as well. It was a chance to get away, away from the hustle and bustle, and spend time with his son.

There is something extremely special about that parent-child relationship, not to be taken for granted. Perhaps this is why when I come across a young girl whose father was killed in the line of duty, or when I meet a young boy who grew up in a foster home, I see such a void, such a need for mentorship, inspiration, and I have a gnawing desire to help these children. That is why I started the foundation Got Your Back Network after losing two of my good friends in Afghanistan and seeing the impact it had and continues to have on their children. Kids are a so precious, free, innocent, easily influenced, SO malleable, open to ideas and capable of SO much positive, if given guidance, mentorship, love, and compassion.

It is for this reason that I think I have found myself migrating towards so much motivational work with youth and empowerment through sport. This past year I have had numerous experiences with the U.S. Surgeon General educating children on the importance of eating right and being active, but also WHY it is so important. Enabling children to understand which foods and beverages allow them to feel and be the best they can be, and teaching them how to take their pulse rate, and why getting their heart beating faster through movement for 60 minutes a day is crucial to their longevity has been incredibly rewarding and fun. Prompting children to take charge when grocery shopping with their parents has been great, as has encouraging them to take the lead in grabbing their parents to go for a hike, play tennis, or go for a bike ride. Empowerment through sport. When I led three teenage foster children through their first ever triathlon in August, and we crossed the finish line together, hand in hand, I will never forget the purity of their smiles, the magnitude of their joy, and the swell of newly found confidence that they had discovered within.

The Surgeon General of the United States has inspired me in many ways, but most importantly to step up in being a leader for a Healthy Youth for a Healthy Future. Over 30% of the children in our country are now overweight or obese. This is twice the percentage than just 2 decades ago when it was just 15%....around the time my Dad marched me into that SEARS to get my first road bike. With 2/3 (yes that's 66.6%) of our adult population now overweight or obese originating from this original amount, just do the math to realize what that spells for our future populations. As a physician I can tell you that the single greatest thing that will kill you early, is being overweight. Whether it is from diabetes, heart disease, cancer, or stroke, that adipose tissue is a cause. When I get really upset is when I see a 14 year old in my clinic who is obese, has diabetes (used to be called adult onset diabetes) and already has carotid artery blockage of a 65 year old (so much that I can hear with my stethoscope). And this is becoming more and more of a common occurrence. Obviously we are not doing something right, and it take each and every one of us to step up and start being better role models for our children, our peers, and everyone around us. There is no finger pointing in this obesity epidemic. It stems from a societal change away from a play generation, towards a fast paced, controlled, automated, computerized and sheltered one full of overly affordable processed foods, and one where some school systems have done away with physical education, failing to see the clearly evidenced benefits between physical activity and learning.

Last summer I received a frantic call one morning from my mother, informing me that my father was short of breath and having some left shoulder pains after riding his bicycle. I got him to the hospital and it was discovered through angiogram that THREE of his main coronaries were 90% blocked. He was moved quickly to surgery where he received FIVE cardiac bypass grafts. It was a very emotional time, one where we all took a step back and reflected on how fragile this life that we have is, and no one realized that as much as my Father. He emerged from surgery with a renewed vigor and commitment to wellness. When I began speaking with the Surgeon General about riding my bike across the country, speaking at elementary schools along the way, my Father caught wind of it, and suggested we do it across Pennsylvania, just as we had done years ago. And that is how the idea for the Cross-PA Health Ride and Kids Fitness Days was born. After much planning, tough times finding funding, and nail biting frustrations, we are poised to begin our trek across the Keystone State on October 4 in Pittsburgh and ride a total of 420 miles, visiting seven elementary schools, reaching over 4000 children, culminating in Philadelphia on October 10 with a run up the fabled Rocky Steps, and Healthy Lifestyles Fair, a show of pride in PA and in encouraging we and our children to lead healthier lifestyles.

I can firmly attribute the successes I have had in my life thus far to three key things I learned from my Father- the ethic of Service, the importance of Mentorship, and how to ride a Bike :)

Let's get riding.......

For more information, to participate, volunteer, or donate to the Cross-PA Health Ride effort, please visit www.healthride.org

Thank you.

Dr. Andy Baldwin (and his father Roy)