Woman plans cross-country fundraising ride for veterans

GALVESTON, Ind. (AP) - Donita Walters bikes from her home outside Galveston to her job in Kokomo every day she can.

She's biked the Rocky Mountains, the Appalachian Mountains and always brings her bicycle along on family trips.

"It's in the back of my mind every time I ride - I wonder if I could just keep riding and riding until I reach the coast?" she said.

The 46-year-old hopes to stop wondering next month when she joins a friend on a cross-country ride to raise money for veterans with life-altering injuries.

They're planning to take the Golden Gate Ferry in San Francisco, California, to the mainland May 29 before embarking on the about 3,800-mile trip across the middle of the country. Their goal is to conclude their ride on another ferry in Nags Head, North Carolina in less than 64 days.

Walters said she's enjoyed biking ever since she was a little girl, when she rode from her house in Walton to her grandparents' outside Grissom Air Force Base.

Her passion continues through biking about 12.5 miles every day weather permits to McKinley Alternative School in Kokomo, where she teaches eighth grade.

"I get to experience the world in 360 degrees," she said of her bike rides. "It's 360 degrees of awesomeness."

Birds sing her to school each morning, Walters continued. She gets to watch the farmers working in their fields. The sun shines on her during the day while the moon glows down at night.

"I'm just very fortunate to be able to experience that," she said.

She wouldn't be able to experience any of it, she continued, were it not for the military service members preserving the country's way of life.

"If it wasn't for our veterans ... none of us in this country would enjoy the freedoms that we have," she said.

Walters went on to recall mountain-climbing last summer with an Army Ranger, whom she overheard talking to his son on his phone. The Ranger told his son the climb was a lot like his time in Afghanistan, except this time around he wasn't being shot at.

"We don't see that," Walters said. "We live our peaceful lives here in the Midwest. I just felt the need to do something for those folks."

She'll be riding across the country to raise funds for Homes for Our Troops, which builds residences adapted for veterans who returned stateside with life-altering injuries.

Walters recently reconnected with an old friend and Cass County native, Kristy Kimball Massey, on Facebook.

Massey, who lives in South Carolina, shares Walters' passion for cycling and will be accompanying her on the trip. Their desire to support Homes for Our Troops was furthered by having family members who have served and are serving in the military.

Walters spent her spring break altitude training by biking in Colorado.

"I hope to have 5,000 miles under my butt in 11 months," she said.

She's ridden more than 4,000 in the past year. Eighty of those miles were spent with Massey in their first ride together on the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina last weekend.

Walters' bike will carry several packs for storing food, water, clothes and toiletries.

The bike is equipped with two headlights and a blinking tail light. Two small American flags will wave above that tail light, matching her stars-and-stripes jersey with the opening words of the U.S. Constitution's preamble on it. She'll also wear the reflective vest she wears each time she gets on her bike.

"I am known as the Christmas tree across Kokomo," she said, holding up her vest.

It's about 40 to 45 pounds of gear in all, she said, adding she'll be traveling at 12 to 14 mph. Her goal is to hit 65 miles a day on the cross-country trek.

She and Massey will be staying in hotels, but each are bringing a tent for emergency shelter.

They chose their route with the help of the Adventure Cycling Association, which suggests routes that are legal, bike friendly, accessible during emergencies and aren't far from resources should bikes need repair.

Walters credits her mother as the source of her drive.

"My mom is quite the adventurous lady," she said. "... She always taught us there's nothing you can't do, don't ever say you can't and have a bucket list and work hard to achieve those things."

Walters said she's gone on 100-mile bike rides before, but never anything nearly as long as the width of the United States.

"I'm confident we can do this but I'm not going to lie to you and say I'm not nervous," she said.

Weather and unfamiliar road conditions are among her concerns.

"I know where the potholes are on the roads here," she said outside her home. "I know them like the back of my hand."

It's not going to be like that on the trip, she continued.

"I can't call 1-800-HUBBY when I'm in Kansas," she said. "...We're not going to have that."

Potholes and severe weather pale in comparison to another fear, however.

"I think probably my biggest fear is failure," she said, going on to recall all of the family members and students supporting her.

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Source: (Logansport) Pharos-Tribune, http://bit.ly/1QzeXj4

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Information from: Pharos-Tribune, http://www.pharostribune.com