August 11, 2006 my son adopted me. I found my son and Antonio got ‘permanency”, however there is not the end of the story nor is it the beginning of the story. Somewhere along the line there is a long series of events that had made up my “adoption” experience. One such event was riding in the 2007 Adoption Tour.
Antonio instructed me in October of 2006 that WE would be riding the Adoption tour in 2007 and that would be the end of the discussion. If you know me, you know that my son is spoiled and gets most of the things that he wants, so the mental preparation started for the week of October 8,2007. Antonio and I officially committed to doing the tour in April 2007 and with persistence and not letting the little barriers like a broken wrist and diabetes get in the way we trained. The week of October 8th, 2007 the blood sweat and tears that were left on the training routes and in the gym, all paid off.
I was commissioned with the sponsorship of David Messer, who was to be adopted on the final day of the tour. David and his sister were able to find their forever home that October Afternoon. David was one of 50 kids that was sponsored and was presented with a bicycle during the week.
The Adoption Tour was possibly the most spiritual journey that I have ever taken. It started with experiencing the Mississippi River with Liz Black and hearing her story of what the river meant to her and ended riding into World’s Faire Park under police escort and my son yelling to me, as we crossed the finish line, that he loved me.
At the celebrations we heard of all the statistics about the kids in custody and needing a forever home, Some 1300 kids need forever homes. We were asked to think about out motivation for doing the tour and why ride, and with 433.7 miles to go you get to think about those questions time and time again. I was very fortunate to have had the experience of riding with a young man who was adopted as well as a family who has adopted 4 kids. Our 51st rider was for all the unclaimed kids. For every mile that we rode, there are three Kids that need a forever home.
My ThanksGiving: I am thankful for my son and my family, for my job and most of my co-workers, I am thankful for ASAP and Harmony for the support of my adoption and also the experience of riding the 2007 adoption tour.
My “prayer” is for permanency for kids that need forever homes, for safety and family celebrations for ‘Ohana and Aloha.
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Overwhelming. Four days after the conclusion of the Tour, I am still completely overwhelmed by the whole experience. During and after the Tour, I have thought a lot about what the Tour means to me and I have searched desperately for the right words to convey my thoughts and feelings. I have even lain awake at night trying to compose the words. But I have now concluded that there simply are no words to do justice to the profound experience that is the Adoption Tour.
As we rode across the state, a lot of people we encountered said, “Wow, I can not believe you are riding your bicycle across the whole state of Tennessee. You guys are heroes!” But, I’m not a hero. The truth is that I got to ride my bike every day for a solid week, with incredible support, in perfect weather, through the gorgeous state of Tennessee, alongside fifty fellow cycling enthusiasts, making new friends and smiling all the way. For an avid cyclist, it doesn’t get much better. If anything, I feel a bit selfish for having indulged myself in one of the most fun things I have ever done.
;)
I think we can all agree that the real heroes of the Tour are the children. But I also found another group during the Tour that I believe is truly heroic -- the many people who work so tirelessly every single day of every week of every year for DCS, Harmony, ASAP, Youth Villages, Omni Visions, Agape, and the many other adoption-related organizations and agencies. I came to the Tour as an “adoption outsider”, since I don’t work in that field and had few ties to adoption. But now, having seen first hand your incredible enthusiasm and passion, I can honestly say that I am awed and inspired by each and every one of you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all that you do, every day, for the kids.
Vive le Tour!
Tim Tidwell
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Take a moment to check out photos of the 2007 TN Adoption Tour Riders. We are grateful for their time and commitment to our cause.
View Rider Photos
;)
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Being the 51st rider and riding for the "unclaimed" meant a lot to me. All the other riders rode for one certain person; I got to ride for many children and teenagers that are still waiting for their forever family. 331 to be exact!! That's a big number.
Unclaimed is such a sad word, it's almost like saying the children are "lost". Actually it's their forever families that are "lost" we just need to work hard to find them; their children are waiting for them!!
This year's Adoption Tour was a big accomplishment for me. Many people don't know this but on February 3rd I woke up and was unable to walk. For six weeks we didn't know what was wrong with me. Finally an MRI showed that I had severally herniated the L4-L5 disc in the lower region of my back. As well as slightly herniated the disc above. I wasn't allowed to do ANY sports except swim and ride my bike. Many may not think that's bad but I was a competitive cheerleader, soccer player, cross country runner, and played on three to four softball teams!! I was out of school for two months as well.
;)
By the first part of April I was finally able to get on my bike. That first month was hard!!! I could only go 5 to 10 miles before I had to stop and rest. I was beginning to feel that the Adoption Tour wasn't going to be an option for me this year. So coming from there to now have ridden the entire state of Tennessee in less than 9 months is a great accomplishment for me. So I was proud of every mile and every climb I was able to make.
Adoption can be just as much a struggle; it's hard at first but working together as a team really helps. Having support around you and taking one step at a time makes a big difference. Many people are scared to adopt teenagers. What they don't realize is that teenagers are just bigger kids.
We all want Love, to be noticed, to have someone there to say "Good Job", and mostly to be able to look around and see a caring person instead of just his or her shadow!
Yes this tour was hard to ride; yes adoption is hard to go through but so are many other things in life. At least with adoption you won't be alone and you will have wonderful people to help support you along the way.
Every teenager, every child needs to know that they are worth this struggle. They need a chance to show that they are worth believing in and worth loving; give them a chance and they won't disappoint you.
Jordon Galewski
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Friday, Oct. 12th: What a great day on the plateau. I got up this morning feeling 100% better than Thursday morning. No fever means I can get back on my bike!
The ride from Crossville to lunch was amazing. The rolling fields, the cool, crisp autumn air. I struggle to think that it gets much better than this. But, as soon as I thought that, we came off the plateau and spilled out into a little town called Rockwood, and it did. Coming down the hill into town, seeing the beautiful mountains that were surrounding us, literally took my breath away. It was so amazing. I will admit I did get a bit choked up.
I did take a break right before lunch (body still not 100%) and got to ride the last few miles into Knoxville. Seeing all the people when we rode into the World's Fair Park is something I will never forget. The best thing was getting to ride in the with the kids...really what the whole week was all about.
I am very grateful and blessed to have been a part of such a wonderful event. I would like to thank the organizers of the event, and of course "Team Sweep" for the support on the ride. I am very happy with my 242 miles that I put in over 4 days. I am hopeful that at least one child finds a forever family because of our efforts.
-Mandy Lewis
Mandy's Rider Profile
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