Page 36 - Coweta NCG 2017

Pedals, Pets, and Passion ~ B Y D A N A B R O W N

Pedal for Pets RAAM Team A health and wellness advocate Vicki Kaiser (RAAM), with seven other community leaders,
s the Executive Director of Oncology, Support
Services, and Community Affairs at Piedmont
Coweta’s Women of Prosperity.
Newnan, it’s no surprise how much of a
“For me personally, life doesn’t work unless
I have this component. I have to have my time
for exercise. It’s how I find clarity. My energy is
is. What is surprising, however, is how she finds the time to exercise
despite such a demanding role, and more than that, how she found dependent on it. I block time out in my calendar for
the time to compete in the world’s toughest race, the Race Across America it,” Vicki said.
Vicki has been an advocate for exercise for years,
running and mountain biking, but it was not until
six years ago that she joined a road cycling group
and became seriously involved in the sport.
In June 2016, Vicki’s RAAM team, Pedal for Pets,
named after the charity for which they were raising
funds, trained for an entire year, often waking up at
four in the morning and cycling 75 miles to prepare
them to race literally across America. Beginning in
Oceanside, California, the only all-female team in
RAAM pedaled their way across the continent to
Annapolis, Maryland in seven days, 13 hours, and six
minutes, covering more than 3,069 miles.
“It was all day and all night,” Vicki said. “We had
a racer on the road at all times, and a couple of big
vans and 12 supporters with us.”
The Pedal for Pets RAAM team raised $26,000
for the charity, and have the lean quads, RAAM
jerseys and medals to prove it.
Vicki still cycles around 100 miles a week with
a small group, and she encourages others to get
involved in the sport. “We absolutely welcome new
cyclists. That’s one of my favorite things to do. I
don’t think I’ve ever seen someone not fall in love
with the sport.”
Although Coweta County ranks tenth out of
159 counties as being one of the healthiest counties
in Georgia, and 76 percent of residents exercise
regularly, there is always room for improvement.
“There is an opportunity for us to be a more
exercise-friendly community. That’s one of my goals:
a more formal movement around our community
being a great place to live and exercise. Through
education or sponsoring this type of lifestyle we can
create a healthier population.”
Want to get involved in a cycling group? Grab a helmet
and visit: www.southsidecycling.com.

32 32 www.newnancowetachamber.org • 770.253.2270