Another Record Year for
Indoor El Tour The 13th Indoor El Tour presented by Arizona Health attracted a record 3,545 participants. Indoor riders ranged in age from 8 to 83 ~ all pedaling for minutes not miles. Most participants were students and youth from area schools and recreation centers, coordinated by Elaine Mariolle with a team of Pima County Public Health Middle School Bike Ambassadors. Top teams included: Rotary Polo Plus with 30 riders from Tucson,
Scottsdale, Sierra Vista, Pittsburgh (PA), San Francisco, Barrington (IL), and Chesterfield (SC); Pacsua Yaqui Wellness Center with 25 riders; Pima Community College Employee Wellness Program with 12 riders; Boys & Girls Club with four riders; Tu Nidito with two riders; and Beads of Courage with two riders. LaMonte Hunley, owner of Arizona Health supplied a fleet of stationary bikes and other innovative gym equipment for attendees at El Tour Expo to enjoy! Arizona Health owner, LaMonte Hunley (L) leading an Indoor El Tour session during El Tour Expo. Susan Moore Photo
The Popular School/Youth Program Also Included Opioid Abuse Awareness by Elaine Mariolle, Program Coordinator The Indoor School/Youth program set a new record for participation: a record 3,359 students and youth, along with teachers, staff, and mentors pedaled 87,256 minutes. They broke the existing record for the total number of rides by 66 set in 2017. The Indoor Student/Youth program increased by four locations and for a total 13 sites including: Ajo Unified School District (located in the far reaches of Pima County), Desert View High School, Dietz K-8, Gallego Intermediate, Gridley Middle School, Imago Dei Middle School, Jr. El Tour, Lauffer Middle School, 0S3 Movement (Nogales, AZ), Pascua Yaqui Youth, San Xavier Recreation Center, Secrist Middle School, and Utterback Middle School. For the past eight years, the Desert View High School Jaguars have been the reigning champions of the School/Youth Team Award. They have a distinct advantage: more spin bikes in their fitness center, and a larger student body from which to draw. But the Lauffer Middle School Rattlers, located a mile down the road have been determined to take the title. And, they did it with 811 riders pedaling 18,875 minutes. The entire Lauffer Middle School rallied for the cause: Principal, Thom Luedemann encouraged the students, the art classes made posters to inspire the school, and the teachers and staff also saddled up for the effort. The Rattlers campaigned for the full five days and it paid off. “Lauffer has always given over 100 percent to Indoor El Tour,” said Missy Russum, lead bike ambassador at Lauffer. “This year was no different, except ... we won!” Desert View High School placed second with 676 riders pedaling 18,626 minutes. Utterback Middle School came in third with 271 riders pedaling 10,392 minutes. All of the middle schools (including Ajo) are all part of the Pima County Public Health Middle School Bike Program. Each school has a fleet of hybrid bikes and Pima County bike ambassadors lead bike safety classes and group riding activities during PE, and/or after school. Bike ambassadors also assist Jr. El Tour with bike safety drills. Indoor El Tour is a way to get the whole school involved and to help promote the on-going bike safety program at the schools. Pascua Yaqui youth participated again this year and we were delighted to welcome Tohono O’odham youth from the San Xavier Recreation Center who joined the fun for the first time. We look forward to involving all seven of the Healthy O’odham Promotion Program centers next year!
Many of the Indoor youth also rode the El Tour main events. Jr. El Tour held their Indoor event in the Tucson Jewish Community Community Center spin bike room (where they train on Tuesday and Thursday evenings) in preparation for riding the 50-mile El Tour event. The 0S3 Movement youth from Nogales, AZ set-up their event on the patio of the Nogales Community Development building and they all rode for platinum medallions in preparation for their various El Tour road rides! This year the school/youth program included important opioid abuse awareness messaging and was underwritten, in part, with the generous support from Tucson Medical Center, The Centurions, Tucson Conquistadores and the Arizona Rehab Campus. The goal was to give youth healthy activities like bicycling and Indoor El Tour to help them learn to make healthy choices and to develop resilience as they meet life’s challenges. Pima County Public Health Department provided age-appropriate, best-practices information and colorful posters that got the message across. Many students and teachers were surprised to learn that more people die in opioid overdoses than in car crashes each year. The Public Health posters were so popular the schools and wellness centers have requested multiple copies for their locker rooms and school facilities. Thank you to the teachers and staff at
each school for enthusiastically promoting and actively participating in Indoor El Tour. The Pima County middle school bike ambassadors did a great job with all of the bike preparation and actual running of the Indoor events at the schools. The team included: Brian Beck, Chloe Black, Ashton Burris, Andrew Gannon, Donna Lewandowski, Vera Merriott, Cynthia Quijada, Missy Russum and Catherine Stewart. For the first time, University of Arizona undergraduates from Martha Monroy’s Public Health class assisted with Indoor El Tour in the schools and included: Maryssa Avelar, Kendra Crump, Olivia Kavanagh, Kaitlyn Ivey and Jocelyn Watson. Final thanks to the Arizona Health, supporting sponsor of the 13th Indoor El Tour as well Tucson Medical Center, The Centurions, Tucson Conquistadores and Arizona Rehab Campus for their support of youth programming and health.
Lauffer Middle School Rattlers Win School Team Award. Elaine Mariolle Photo
2018 Indoor Overall Champion Tells Her Story
YOUTH TEAM/SCHOOL
by Robelyn Garcia, PhD I rode The Indoor El Tour de Tucson to honor my biological mother "Barbara Caballero" who lived her entire life in Tucson before passing away from Scleroderma in 2007. I met my birth mother and Tucson family when I was 32 and since then Tucson has held a special place in my heart. She was alive to see me ride for a Platinum Medallion the 2005 El Tour de Tucson 109 Mile Outdoor Race with a time of 6:46:04. Since then I have rode in the Tour de Phoenix twice, Tour de Mesa Fun Ride once and the Indoor El Tour de Tucson three times. Each time I ride I am honoring my biological mother and her battle with the rare disease that I also have. Indoor cycling has been a big part of my life since tearing my ACL while playing basketball at The University of Nebraska. The team doctors and physical therapists prescribed the stationary bike for rehab following my first knee surgery in 1986. Nine surgeries later, I continue to utilize indoor
cycling for my athletic performance and exercise routine. I completed my first Indoor El Tour in 2011; I now have one silver, two gold and three platinum medallion finishes. Recently I have become motivated by my United States Sports Academy Doctoral Mentee Dr. Daniela Benavidez. She has undergone a remarkable health and fitness transformation through HIT indoor cycling. With Dr. Daniela as my new indoor spin role model, I plan to continue to ride in The Indoor Tour de Tucson as long as I can pedal a revolution! As Multidisciplinary Post-Doc Scholar and Professor, my mission is to educate and motivate! I am currently a Faculty Affiliate at Arizona State University, a Post-Doc Scholar at Harvard University Extension School, an American Red Cross Instructor at Senior University and a Private Professor at Personal Professors Online Academy.
RIDERS
MINUTES
Lauffer Middle School Captain: Thom Luedemann
811
18,875
Desert View High School:Captain Coach Linda Reinke
676
18,626
Utterback Middle School:Captain Ratanya Newsome
271
10,392
Secrist Middle School:Captain Coach Jane Reuter
432
9,550
Dietz K-8 Captain: David Paun
284
8,070
Gridley Middle School Captain: Luke Van Schie
135
6,150
Gallego Middle School Captain: Pam Robles
493
4,930
Ajo Unified School District Captain: Lily Williams
181
4,730
Jr. El Tour Captain: Scott Blanchard
58
2,320
0S3 Movement Captain: Mellisa Gallego
29
2,110
Pascua Yaqui Youth Captain: Mariano Avelarde
15
818
Imago Dei Middle School Captain: Jacob Brainerd
19
475
San Xavier Recreation Center Captain: Deidra Edaakie TOTAL
21
210
3,425
87,256
Rotary Polio Plus rider, Dr. Robelyn Garcia of Scottsdale, AZ pedaled 635 minutes for 2018 Indoor El Tour 1st Overall. Dr. Robelyn Garcia Photo
Results become official March 1, 2019 and are posted on our website www.perimeterbicycling.com. Contact the El Tour office with changes or corrections: (520) 745-2033; E-mail registration@perimeterbicycling.com WINTER 2019
T A I L W I N D S I N S E R T — U N O F F I C I A L R E S U LT S — I N D O O R E L T O U R
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