SPOKES FIGHTING STROKES (.org) REHAB HOSPITAL OF LARGO FL PRESENTATION

… 20+ PHYSICAL THERAPISTS

Encompass Health’s physical therapists eagerly used their lunch hour to eat their lunch while listening to SFS originator Dan Zimmerman present the history and motivation fueling his quickly growing organization. The attention ratio began at 50% lunch/50% Dan and quickly morphed into 100% Dan with insightful questions from several.  At 1 PM when all had scheduled therapies to attend, the show moved to a facility rehab gym where several brought their patients in to check out Dan’s therapy method. 

Lisa … a survivor of 2 strokes … was one who took advantage of testing out one of the trikes Dan had brought in.  Lisa entered the room looking distraught about her condition but open to sharing her story with Dan. She listened and found the courage to sit in the trike. A close look at the picture reveals smile wrinkles branching from her eye. These lines of joy at the end of the 1st lap are indicative of the huge “trike grin” she had under her face mask … everyone in the room shared the feeling of soul-warming self-generated freedom and independence she was experiencing. 

… THE NEW DUNEDIN FL SFS CHAPTER WILL GROW QUICKLY

… CHAPTER LEADER, WILL SARE, MAKES FOR THE PERFECT GROUP GUIDE-LEADER

Having the pleasure to ride with top-tier riders Dan and his companion Mae Walsh with Will as guide a few days in the Dunedin/Largo/Clearwater/St. Pete area has proved to be some of the best group riding ever. One day we rode with FL’s “CRAB” riding group … cranky retired somethings … from Dunedin down the Pinellas Railtrail and back … an older crowd up into the 80’s … a health-minded ethos was the silver lining to my present moment. Will’s a 5 year stroke survivor. His Nebraska State Senior Olympics cycling competition wins have earned him the invitation to compete in the  Senior Olympics Nationals this spring in Ft. Lauderdale. Discovering this fact explains why the pace on his tours seemed well-seasoned at times. GOOD LUCK WILL!!!

… THE “SUGAR SAND” OF CLEARWATER BEACH HIGHLIGHTED WILL’S 3 BRIDGE TOUR

The 3 Bridges tour that took us from mainland to Clearwater Beach, Sand Key Park, down the island and back to mainland had a well timed meal at Frenchy’s cafe and finally over bridge 3 to William Dean Chocolates. Will warned that we should only stay 45 minutes.

I went through the line 3 times and I’m the 1st to jump on my soapbox preaching against eating sweets … dark chocolate and mint gelato, cappuccino and variety of individual chocolates. We could have stayed 2 hours. One could wonder if it wasn’t  being too good of a trip leader to take a group over 3 challenging bridges, watch them stuff themselves at Frenchy’s and then gelato/coffee/chocolate them into a semi-sugar coma and expect them to be able to ride more than a mile or so home … yes … but no complaints.