Lend a Hand

Sometimes the best way to be involved in a race is to
volunteer. After all, if you’ve done any amount of racing yourself, you’ve most
certainly experienced the kindness of an individual generously donating their
time to ensure that you have a safe and pleasurable experience. Next time the
race itself doesn’t suit your skills or your training schedule, consider giving
a few hours to lend a hand. Trust me, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a race
director who won’t appreciate the extra help!

Last Sunday, I had the opportunity to volunteer for the
inaugural Centurion Cycling event in Lyons,
CO. The race involved three
distances of organized road rides, accommodating various ability levels. I had
the pleasure of working with both the registration team and the food &
beverage crew, and I fully enjoyed being a part of these groups of relative
strangers who came together for various reasons to roll up their shirtsleeves.
It was particularly sweet to hear all the comments of awe and admiration
directed from the volunteers toward the riders who tackled the various courses.
I spend a good deal of my time with people who are fairly athletic and to whom
training and racing is an integral part of their lives. To gain this fresh
perspective – and to hear several volunteers become inspired to ride the next
year – was wonderful. To help out, knowing that the next event I participate in
as a racer will be supported by an army of similar volunteers, felt
overwhelmingly like the right thing to do.

– Holly Bennett