A little help from my friends...

Emily, a Fall Triathlon team participant, had a very nasty spill on her bike a couple of weeks back. The short version which I heard, (since I was not there on the day), was that upon coming down a steep hill in downtown Fort Worth (which our team regularly uses to add a bit of hill work when riding on the Trinity Trail), Emily realized too late that her brakes were not properly clamped. She rode at full speed straight into a street curb at the bottom of the hill. Her bike stopped and she flew 15 feet or more.

Thankfully, she got up, and although shaken, was not hurt seriously in any way.

Her bike took the brunt of the impact and it endured: a broken front fork, a broken seat post, a broke handlebar, and bent rims.

I should also mention that Emily is a college student. Bike repairs are not a budgeted item as you'd expect.

Well, Tim, one of our mentors and my former teammate from the Winter Team, organized an effort to help Emily fund her unexpected and sizable repair bill. Cut to the end, here's Emily's note to the team upon picking up her bike:

Hey TEAM!

I am still in shock today after picking up my bike and learning that I owed only 1 cent!! ARE YOU KIDDING? It was completely unexpected and I don't know if words could really express my gratitude to everyone. That is by far the nicest and most thoughtful thing that anybody has ever done for me. I feel really lucky to be on a team with such AMAZING and SNEAKY people.

I wish I could say I went to group training and events all the time to train, but for me it's always been just an excuse to see and hang out with all of you. It's rare to be truly grateful for things, but I am so very grateful for my TNT TEAM!! So Thank you Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I love you guys!!!! Expect HUGE hugs when I see you!!

Best part, I get to ride at GOAT NECK this weekend!!! WHOOHOO!

A very happy, not quite so broke college student anymore,

EMILY

P.S. I'm thinking that the bicycles inc. men are not used to a girl crying in their store....awkward...