Trail Angel DB250F makes Sports/Outdoor Page in OC Register

[Cowgirl]

Our very own Debbie Brown has a great article in the Register today.....

http://www.ocregister.com/sports/bro...mountain-trail

Can I have your Autograph Debbie????

[Jordansrealm]

A bunch more Trail Angels if you follow the more photos link!

[genusmtbkr5]

Thanks Sherry, that's great stuff! I love reading her story and it makes me proud to have been a part of that day and witness her QUEST!

[OMR]

We all know that grasshopper Debbie is a special person ... not only does she look good on a bike (most of us guys can't say that!) but she has the heart of a lion... and a will that just will not break!

Bottom line here: I know that we are all better for knowing her.

[ChariotsOfTires]

That Rock's!!! I think I read a on a thread about The fallen Trail Angel. Tragic! You can see the passion and love in the faces of those women. It's inspiring. You rock Ladies!!!!!!!!

[KeepsWhatHappens]

Check out Debbie on the back page of the Sports page today. They did a piece on her doing the VQ. You go girl!

[Cowgirl]

link this to the other post on it......

[sheclimbs]

Congratulations on completing the VC Debbie. That was a nice article.

[denmother]

Already posted, someone beat you to it!!! Trail Angel in the Register!!

[Wrecker]

Woohoo! Now I know a celebrity

You did a great job, Debbie, congrats!!!!

[foofighter]

found this on the OC reg site.

http://www.ocregister.com/sports/bro...mountain-trail



Hope this isnt a repost

Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Tough mountain biking race is her vision quest

An angel follows woman on the Warrior's Society's epic mountain biking race, "Vision Quest."

DAVID WHITING
Register columnist
dwhiting@ocregister.com

Comments 3| Recommend 2

Ripping into a hair-pin, foot-wide turn on Saddleback Mountain, Debbie Brown sucks in her breath, shifts her weight over her rear tire, turns her handlebars hard left and leans in with her mountain bike.
She threads her way between a tumbling stream of large rocks, absorbs a series of foot-deep drops with muscles and hurtles on her way.
An observer might look at Brown and see another crazy mountain bike racer, risking skin and bone to go as fast as she can during what many call one of the toughest mountain bike races in the country, the Warrior Society's Vision Quest, a 56.5-mile race with more than 11,000 feet of elevation gain.
But for Brown, it's unlikely "racer" or even the words "vision quest" adequately describe her mission.
And it's equally unlikely the average observer would see the angel riding with Brown.
It's about 11 a.m. March 1 and Brown has been pedaling hard since 5:30 a.m. Somewhere in front and behind her are 150 other mountain bikers.
Some are there to win. But most are just hoping to complete certain portions of the course before tough cut-off times, cut off times which have disqualified hundreds of fit, experienced riders since the quest began a decade ago.
Today, of the 181 riders, only 127 will finish. One will leave in an ambulance.
The race is about bragging rights and more. Funds help pay expenses for the Warrior's Society, a non-profit organization dedicated to maintaining the trails in the Orange County chunk of the Cleveland National Forest.
The vast valley that most call Riverside County is some 4,000 feet below as Brown bounces and glides, glides and bounces her way down Upper Holy Jim Trail. To the east are two of Southern California's highest peaks, Gorgonio and Jacinto, to the west and south is the sparkling Pacific Ocean.
But Brown, a Rancho Santa Margarita resident, is on a very special mission. Today's ride is about her friend, Christy Kirkwood, a Garden Grove teacher who was killed Nov. 28, 2006, while riding in the bike lane along Santiago Canyon Road.
This is the second time Brown and other members of the Trail Angels, a women's mountain biking club, have ridden Vision Quest to honor Kirkwood. Brown, who was training with Kirkwood when the car veered, didn't make the cut off times last year.
Still, she steeled herself to try once more, as did other Trail Angels. A few days after Vision Quest, Brown shared an email which I thought was too cool not pass along. Here is an edited version (complete text is online):
"In life, Christy made me a better person, and in death, she challenged me more than I ever could imagine. Little did I know she would be responsible for one of the worst and best days of my 43 years.
"After Christy's accident, my Trail Angel friends signed up for Vision Quest in record numbers. I jumped on the bandwagon, not fully understanding what I was up against.
"I missed the final cut off. As I cried inconsolably, I also saw my husband, Erik, Christy's husband, Chris, and their son, Corey. Unbeknownst to me, they planned to come with me across the finish line.
"I let them down. But most of all, I let myself down. The emotional and physical pain was so bad, I never thought I would put myself through that kind of torture again.
"The months flew by, the pain faded, and then I found myself signing up for round two. This time I trained hard. I had knee issues early on, then two weeks before the race I got a bad chest cold. The night before, I lay in bed with a rapid heart beat and shoulder pain from stress. I got about three hours of sleep.
"We started in the pitch dark at 5:30 a.m. I fought my demons hard throughout the entire race. I got some gnarly leg cramps when I tried to hop over barriers at the bottom of Motorway trail.
"The climbs messed with my head. The downhill was awesome! Still, I walked a few sections due to fatigue.
"I became this possessed person willing to do almost anything to make my final cut off. There was a rider walking carefully across one of the streams, so I jumped knee-deep in water and took off. I was frantic passing people, but they were kind.
"I made it to the last cutoff with six minutes to spare! But it wasn't over.
"Hiking up West Horsethief, my bike felt like 50 lbs. My entire body ached -- and it was the most beautiful thing! I was laughing and crying, conversing with God thanking him for my blessings. In the back of my mind, I kept saying, 'You're not done yet, girlie!'
"I came down Trabuco Canyon to find Erik waiting. He escorted me all the way to the finish line. He is my rock. He taught me how to ride. He let me slack in work so I could train.
"The finish line was saweet! Chris and Corey were waiting with big smiles. My mom, sister and niece were there, along with my wonderful friends.
"CONGRATULATIONS to all those who signed up and competed Vision Quest (and the Counting Coup). It takes WAY more than guts!
"We all have one common bond (W.E.I.T. baby!) We are willing to do whatever it takes."
David Whiting's column on people and places appears Thursdays. He can be reached at 714-796-6869 or dwhiting@ocregister.com.

[tkblazer]

thats Debbie, Christy passed away a few years ago

[G-Ride]

And yes, it is a repost.

DB250F makes Sports/Outdoor Page in OC Register

[JoeTruth]

Re-post or not, that's very touching and extremely inspirational. Great job, girlie!

[foofighter]

sorry i tried to change the title...