When people, myself included, talk about bike riding they often talk about the pleasures of charging hard up a steep hill, or they talk about the joys of spending a few hours moving from Point A to Point B in a human-powered vehicle; they may even talk about the incalculable health benefits of pedaling for hours on end under clear skies. Few people, however, ever speak of, or even think about, the redemptive power of riding a bike.
Two recent stories, from countries separated by “the pond” (aka the Atlantic Ocean), illustrate the enormous power of the bike to help heal wounds and, to some degree, lead people on the road to redemption.
Dougie Dalzell was a lieutenant in the British Army, assigned to the Coldstream Guards. On February 18, 2010, the day of his 27th birthday, Lt. Dalzell lost his life while commanding 2 Platoon in 1 Company, 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards during Operation Moshtarak in Babaji, Afghanistan. Dougie died as a result of an IED explosion in the Babaji area of Nahr-e-Saraj in central Helmand. At the time of his death, Lt. Dalzell was leading an operation to clear insurgents so that a checkpoint could be built and a road laid through the area. These developments have brought enduring security and freedom of movement to the local Afghan people.
Unlike us Americans, our English cousins tend to be a slightly reticent when it comes to celebrating home grown heroes. But if there ever was a man deserving of being called “Britain’s best” Lt. Dalzell certainly was it.
A graduate from the University of Leeds law school, Mr. Dalzell decided that life as a barrister was not for him - not just yet anyway – so he joined the British Army. On November 26, 2009, while leading a patrol in the Helmand province of Afghanistan, one of his platoon members was wounded by a Taliban bomb. Not thinking of his own safety, Lt. Dalzell undertook heroic measures to save his fallen comrade. Because of his actions on the field, Lt. Dalzell was awarded the British Army Military Cross.
The citation for Lt. Dalzell’s MC states,
“His leadership under such extreme pressure and his indomitable courage in the face of the enemy successfully brought the whole patrol away safely…This unique young officer demonstrated repeated acts of conspicuous gallantry under file and selfless commitment to his soldiers and his duty.”
Now jump forward several months later and meet Emily Brooke. Emily Brooke, from Farleigh Hungerford, met platoon commander Dougie Dalzell in 2009, when they were both on holiday in Devon. The 24-year-old student said she admired his dedication to the job and they fell instantly in love.
Since the time of Lt. Dalzell’s death Emily has devoted her time to his memory. It was while thinking of a way to honor his memory that she decided to embark on a bicycle ride from Land's End to John O'Groats to raise money for his memorial fund.
She will take on the challenge in September alongside Dougie's sister Olivia, who lives in his home town of Newbury.
Emily said: "He was a very positive, incredible and perfect man and this is exactly how he would have wanted us to behave. I am really excited to have a positive focus.
"His men were so important to him and he cared about them so much.
"They absolutely adored him as well and they were his number one concern at all times.
"He would be incredibly proud of us."
Emily said that the ride gave her something to focus on. "It is something to talk about and a positive thing to do. We want to raise money to help other people going through the same thing."
She said she had barely ridden a bike before but had been training hard. Emily’s father, Major (retd.) Hugo Brooke, is an avid cyclist and he helped Emily train for the 900 mile journey.
"We are doing it properly,” Emily said, “We are building up 100 miles each month and we have all our Lycra gear ready."
On September 19, 2010, Emily, and Dougie’s sister, Olivia, completed their cycle from Lands End to John O’Groats, cycling a distance of 910 miles in 13 days.
All money raised by Emily and Olivia during their 900 mile bike ride will go to the Lt. Dougie Dalzell Memorial Trust. The Memorial Trust (Registered Charity Number 1140415) supports soldiers who give so much for their country.
Life will certainly never be the same for Emily without her beloved Dougie. But in riding a bike in his memory, Emily may not only have found a way to help others, but she may have also found a glimmer of hope at the end of her cycling journey.
To read more about the Lt. Dougie Dalzell Memorial Trust go here:
Lt. DOUGIE DALZELL TRUST
To see pictures of Emily and Olivia’s journey go here:
EMILY’s RIDE
Now for a different story - about a man who lost his beloved son and then embarked on a cross-country bike trip trying to find light in a dark world.
Eric Okerblom was Dr. Bob Okerblom's son. According to Dr. Okerblom, “By any measure, 19 year old Eric Okerblom was a remarkable man. While still in high school he had already developed as an artist and a musician, earned seven varsity letters, and was a National Merit Finalist. In a single weekend he both ran the LA Marathon (without training) and presented his original research at a youth scientific symposium. He dabbled in beekeeping, was intrigued by carnivorous plants, loved mountains, enjoyed photography, and rocketed on a snowboard. Eric was wise, gentle, sensitive, and genuine; a quiet leader who was voted ‘Most Likely to Succeed’ by his senior class. Despite all of his gifts, Eric was humble and grateful. Eric was the rare, enlightened person you would want for a friend.”
On July 25, 2009, the life of this promising young man was cut short. On that July morning, Eric was riding his bike on a country road near his home in Santa Maria, California when he was struck and killed by a distracted teenage driver. An investigation into the cause of the collision revealed that the driver of the car had been texting immediately prior to the collision. At the time of his death Eric was studying molecular biology at UC Berkeley.
Dr. Okerblom writes on his web page, “This beautiful life was extinguished and our family and community diminished entirely from unnecessary driver distraction.”
To honor his son’s memory, and to shine a much needed light into the deadly risk caused by drivers distracted by cell phone usage and texting, Dr. Okerblom embarked on a solo cross-country bike ride from California to Florida.
On Day 54, the last day of his trip, Dr. Okerblom wrote:
“I started this journey alone in a lonely place, traveling unescorted through the circles of Hell. This memorial ride was not only a tribute to the glorious man I was blessed to call my son, but also a desperate attempt to sustain my sanity. I hoped to restore meaning and harmony to my life. During the two months of cycling, I have tested my physical limits, experienced much introspection, searched for the presence of my God, advocated for mindful driving, and embraced both friends and strangers.”
“I have shared my story innumerable times, and some modicum of good has resulted. But I bleed each time I relive Eric's senseless, mindless killing. The compassion of both strangers and friends has fortified me, I am grateful for the warmth of the human family, which reminds me to be cognizant and appreciative of the many blessings I have in my life. Clearly, I am not alone.”
“But I conclude this travel unrestored. My God has remained silent and elusive.”
…
“Some injuries heal completely without residual or scar. Others heal without residual, but leave a disfiguring scar as a reminder. A few injuries aren't fatal, but linger and smolder,never to resolve completely. One must learn to live with them and not to be dominated by them. My challenge is to learn the live with this injury, but not become the injury.”
“Last night Eric appeared to me in a dream. Smiling, he ran up to me and then past me, neither responding to my entreaties nor looking back. He was happy and carefree. As Eric moved forward, so must I. I must strive to be a person with the compassion, acceptance, actions, and character that my children would be proud to call their father. I lack both the resilience and fortitude for the task, but cannot concede the struggle.”
To read more about Dr. Okerblom’s efforts to eliminate the growing threat distracted drivers go to: ERIC OKERBLOM FOUNDATION.
To read more about the doctor’s trek across America and his spiritual journey in search of meaning for his loss, go here: BOB’s BLOG,
1 comment:
Debbie, these are two deeply moving stories about loss and redemption. I had never seen the bike as anything more than transportation (or a sport). I guess I will have to rethink my views about bike riding. I am glad that you are writing again, I missed your posts.
Post a Comment