Legends of the Road- David Bailey, Doug Henry, Micky Dymond, and Jeff Ward Race Across America

Courtesy of Road 2 Recovery

Encinitas, CA – These four legends are embarking on a journey that will challenge their physical and mental limits beyond anything they have ever done before. On June 17th, starting off in Oceanside, California they will ride a little over 3000 miles, climb 175,000 feet, and cross 12 states to reach the finish line in Annapolis, Maryland. RAAM is not your normal bicycle race and this team built from legends is definitely not your typical team. They will be faced with not only the grueling daily distance that is physically demanding but their route will traverse major climate changes as they pass three major mountain ranges (Sierra, Rocky and Appalachian), cross four of America’s longest rivers (Colorado, Mississippi, Missouri and Ohio), and pass through the Mojave Desert, Sonoran Deserts, Monument Valley, and the Great Plains. RAAM is truly a test of mental, physical, and stamina strength of the likes we can only imagine.

David Bailey (55), Doug Henry (48), Micky Dymond (52), and Jeff Ward (55), The Legends of the Road are not your typical competitors. Their team is comprised of multiple AMA Supercross / Motocross champion titles, World Champion titles, and Motorcycle Hall of Fame members. But their accolades as athletes are not what sets this team apart; its the fact that half of the team will be competing on hand-cycles.

David Bailey and Doug Henry both suffered spinal cord injuries while doing what they loved. David was injured in January of 1987 while practicing for the upcoming Supercross season, at a track in Lake Huron, California. There was significant spinal cord damage, and Bailey became paralyzed from the chest down. Almost 20 years later in March of 2007, Doug Henry broke his back while racing in a Supermoto race. He now suffers partial paralysis from the waist down. While this might break the spirits of some, these two strong computers and athletes at heart have used their injuries to inspire others. In 1997 Bailey started training for the Hawaii Ironman triathlon. In his first two attempts, he finished 3rd, then 2nd, and finally in 2000 he became Ironman World Champion in his division, 13 years after his accident. Seven years after Doug Henry’s injury he competed and won 3rd place at Winter X-Games 14, in the “Adaptive Snowmobile” class.

After watching Micky Dymond and his team of four race RAAM back in 2014, David became inspired to do the same. He wanted to put together a team of athletes and his goal was much larger than winning. “My hope is both to inspire and raise additional money for athletes who need a boost to get going again. Road2Recovery helped me back in 2007 when I was in bad shape physically and financially. It's the least I can do to demonstrate how much it helps when you have that extra boost and motivation to be at your best”.

The team chooses to carry on the tradition of the name “The Legends of the Road” in tribute to Micky’s first RAAM team that raced in 2014 and won the four-person team category. That 2014 team was comprised of Micky Dymond, Dave Mirra, Ben Bostrom, and Dave Zabriskie. The late Dave Mirra coined the team name and this new group of legends hopes to do it justice this year and carry on the name for many years to come.

If you would like to participate and help make sure the Legends of the Road get to their goal, please donate to their cause here by clicking this link https://road2recovery.com/cause-view/legends-of-the-road-david-bailey-doug-henry-micky-dymond-and-jeff-ward-race-across-america/. You can also stay up to date on their progress from training to racing by following their social pages @jeffward3x @mickydymond and @yamachopper19 and @road2reacovery or at Road2Recovery.com. For more information on sponsorships please contact Road2Recovery at Lori@road2recovery.com

About Road 2 Recovery: The Road 2 Recovery Foundation is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization that was founded in 2000, and is dedicated to helping AMA licensed Professional Motocross/Supercross riders and Action Sports Athletes with financial assistance if they sustain career-ending injuries as well as providing motivational, emotional, and spiritual support to these individuals and their families. To make a donation click here.  For more information on Road 2 Recovery and upcoming events visit  www.road2recovery.com or contact Lori Amstutz at 619-339-5671.





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