The Doc King Adaptive Tour: A Day with Two RAWZ Fund Partners
On a rare sunny and mild January morning just over a week ago the Doc King Adaptive Tour (DKAT) took place inside the field house at UNH. The DKAT typically takes place concurrently with the King Challenge which is an important fundraising bike ride benefitting Krempels Center annually since 2011. I was blessed to be able to participate, honored to be supported by some gracious donors, but perhaps most importantly had a great time cycling! This year because of some extreme weather the DKAT had to be rescheduled from King Challenge’s October date which is a fun-filled day of activity at Timberland’s headquarters in Stratham, NH.
Dr. Edward King, the ride’s namesake, is a fellow Krempels Center member who after surviving a stroke retired from 25 years as an orthopedic and hand surgeon at Access Sports Medicine in Exeter. Both Ted’s boys, Robbie and Teddy King had been successful collegiate and then professional cyclists. A lifelong athlete who actually introduced me to adaptive sailing, captaining our sailboat in many adaptive regattas (including a 2011 development-class national championship in Larchmont, NY), Dr. King had become an avid cycler through Northeast Passage (NEP).
After witnessing the joy his engagement with first Stepping Stones, then Krempels Center, and now the David Krempels Brain Injury Center (KBIC) brought their father, both boys with their mother and Ted’s wife Margie King, had an idea. The family would combine their love of cycling, connections within the cycling community, and passion for KBIC to raise funds for the amazing nonprofit organization. Since the inaugural King Challenge in 2011, the King Challenge has raised well over a million dollars to help KBIC carry out its mission of “improving the lives of people living with acquired brain injury.”
I can’t overstate how great it is to be among other KBIC members cycling not just to raise funds, but to be simply doing something different and having fun! In hindsight, I find it pretty cool how KBIC, NEP, and the RAWZ Funds missions were all being fulfilled at the DKAT. Based on the smiles from participating members, certainly KBIC was improving lives with NEP’s help “empowering individuals define, pursue, and achieve their Therapeutic Recreation and Adaptive Sports goals.” What an opportunity to participate in a day where two RAWZ Fund partners truly were improving the lives of those living with disability.