If you happened to be in the lobby of UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central in Colorado Springs last week you may have noticed some Emergency Medical Services staff riding a stationary bike. No, these folks were not trying to sneak in a workout while on the clock.
Benjamin Toombs is a member of UCHealth’s LifeLine Critical Care transport team. Benjamin says, “We are showing our support for the EMS Memorial bike ride, by riding the same miles here inside the hospital that they’re doing outside on the roads in Colorado.”
These indoor cyclists set a goal as a group to peddle 200 miles in 4 days on a stationary bike while the National EMS. Memorial bike ride was taking place in Colorado. The outdoor Colorado portion of the ride started in Snowmass, climbing Loveland Pass from Frisco to Idaho Springs then along the Front Range from Fort Collins to Littleton. The mission of the ride is to celebrate the lives of EMS who serve every day, and those who have become sick or injured or have lost their lives in the line of duty.
The indoor ride certainly wasn’t as scenic as the Colorado high country but it was symbolic for these EMS staff who couldn’t take part in the ride.
Benjamin says, “What we’re doing is a small thing that we hope will have a big impact to improve how people (in Colorado Springs) understand and see the EMS Memorial bike ride. This ride is all about supporting the EMS community. It’s an excellent way to show how UCHealth is not just a building, but actually an extension of the EMS community.”
Coming up in a future Your Healthy Family story, I’m working to catch up with Teller County Paramedic Steve Berry who rode 200 miles last week in Colorado as part of the National EMS Memorial ride. Steve has very close ties to the ride and has helped it grow here in Colorado over the years.
You can start making your plans now for next year’s ride and learn more about it here.
