Live It: Riding the Highs and Lows of a Cross Country Dream

Long sidelined from any kind of athletic endeavors in order to manage the demands of motherhood, Tracy Draper was inspired in 2006 to quietly embark on her own personal "Teeny Tiny Triathlon," as she called it. That day of "scampering" and "splashing" about was the beginning of what would ultimately lead to one of the most epic adventures most of us might imagine. For the next few years she trained, raced and became part of a universal group known as the "cycling community." For most of that time, she also quietly harbored a dream to ride her bike more than 3,000 miles across the country. Every year, hundreds of cyclists ride register with private touring groups to travel by bike from coast to coast. But instead of taking a credit-card tour, this longtime supporter of a myriad of causes recruited and organized her own team of cyclists to tackle the continental challenge in support of America's wounded veterans. Her story perches readers on the front lines of a monumental challenge that tested everything from the rubber on desert-scorched tires to the group dynamics of herding sometimes-exhausted cyclists across a continent. In a voice both humbling and inspiring, she tells a story of hardships and life-defining moments. Her trek takes readers across the country and introduces them to a cast that includes selfless Navajo Indians, unsung heroes of military sacrifice, and middle-class Americans who opened their homes and checkbooks to a band of strangers. It is also a story that takes us from a comfortable spot on the couch to place where we can envision what is possible when you have a bike and a dream.