By Kyle Fitzsimmons
Review Staff Intern
When David Barnes learned about the Michigan Wish-A-Mile 300 Bicycle Tour from a co-worker last year, he saw an opportunity to challenge himself and get back into a childhood activity he had since abandoned.
What he found instead was the ability to help a child and a family in need.
Barnes, a Lake Orion native, began training in March for the July 24-27 bicycle tour from Traverse City to Chelsea.
He trained with a group of cyclists and had a personal goal to bike two to three nights a week and weekends to amass about 100 miles a week.
Although it was difficult at first, he said he found himself going 120 miles a week by the end of his training.
‘You had to be ready for it,? he said. ‘I would’ve been miserable if I hadn’t trained.?
The goal of WAM is for riders to collect donations that go toward a dream vacation for a group of terminally ill children.
Barnes raised $5,785 for a little girl named Dakota from Romulus, who suffers from Pustular Psoriasis and whose dream was to attend the Daytona 500.
Barnes said he was touched when he learned of the little girl’s story.
‘It’s really not just for the kid, but for the whole family,? he said. ‘When one of these kids gets sick it impacts the whole family.?
Barnes said the race is broken up into parts to make the ride easier and to cater to riders of all skill levels.
‘Every 10 or 15 miles there was a rest stop where volunteers would hand out everything from Gatorade to water and any type of food you can think of,? he said. ‘You’d pull in there and really it just became a bunch of 10 or 15 mile rides.?
Barnes added there were even massage tables at some stops which came in handy when he suffered from a swollen knee on the last day.
Although this was Barnes’s first year in the 21-year history of the WAM 300 Bicycle Tour, he said it definitely will not be his last.
‘I’m doing it as long as I’m able to,? he said. ‘It’s just a really good experience.?
As far as improving as a cyclist, Barnes said he realized this was his first year on the tour and by his estimations he finished in the top half of all riders but that was not what he considered important.
‘What I took away from this is it’s pretty amazing what a group of people can do when working toward a cause and it’s pretty special to be a part of it,? he said.