Photo By Kyle Gese | Cyclists pass through ‘Air Power Alley’ on Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, during...... read more read more
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SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Sheppard welcomed more than 12,000 cyclists through the base during the 34th Hotter'N Hell 100 bike race Aug. 29, 2015.
The base has been part of the event since it began in 1981, and this year hundreds of volunteers once again ensured riders had not only a great and safe ride, but a unique Air Force experience as well.
Riders on the 100K, 50-mile and 25-mile courses entered "Airpower Alley" shortly after coming on base through the Clinic Gate. Pilots from the 80th Flying Training Wing waited beside F-15s F-16s, C-130s, T-38s and A-10s to answer questions about the aircraft and take pictures of riders who stopped for a break.
On route to Sheppard's rest stop - always one of the top rated stops along the route - riders experienced "Airman's Alley," where about 250 technical training students lined both sides of the route to cheer on riders as they entered the last six miles of the race.
"It was the best part of the ride," said Benjamin Benson of Durant, Okla.
The Sheppard leg is an annual highlight for many riders, but for some, like Christopher Freeman of Wichita Falls, it has special significance.
Freeman enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2006 at age 17, and served honorably until 2010, with assignments at Camp Pendleton, Calif., and Camp Lejeune, N.C. In December 2010 - six months after separating from military service 2010 he was involved in a car accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down.
But that hasn't stopped him from riding in the Hotter n' Hell 100 - 2015's ride was his third in a row.
"At the time of my accident, I was only thinking of survival and getting out of that ditch -- for mine and my daughter's sake," he said. "Later at the hospital I was in a state of denial for around a week when I thought I wouldn't walk again, but I knew I couldn't let this define me in a negative light."
While the idea of long-term assisted living was considered, Freeman was determined to become able to take care of himself. He worked eight and nine hours a day in rehabilitation.
"I pushed myself to my limits, and within 30 days I went from not being able to move in my bed to being completely independent," he said.
He was transferred to the Spinal Cord Unit at the Dallas Veterans Administration Hospital, for additional rehabilitation, and was discharged back home after just two weeks.
Soon after, he resumed his education, which the accident had interrupted. By 2013 he had earned his Associates Degree from Vernon College and transferred to Midwestern State University.
"In December, I will get my Bachelor of the Arts in History Education, and I am student teaching at Holliday High School," he said. "I worked on two research projects with the University and one we hope will be published with me as the primary author here soon."
Freeman received the Outstanding Secondary Education Student of the 2014-2015 school year and also serves as vice president of the Armed Forces Veterans Organization at MSU.
Riding in the Hotter'N Hell using a handcycle is not only great exercise, Freeman said, but also a chance to participate with friends and family - and to inspire others.
"This disability has given me the opportunity to share my story with people from all walks of life," he said. "It's allowed me to show others that your life is what you make it -- even negative things can always have a silver lining."
Freeman was recently married and continues to raise the daughter, now 6, who motivated him to crawl out of that ditch.
| Date Taken: | 08.29.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 09.03.2015 10:30 |
| Story ID: | 175136 |
| Location: | WICHITA FALLS, TX, US |
| Web Views: | 36 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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