for her to explain that she just needs time.”

In the fall of 2014, the family decided to start fresh. They packed their belongings, left North Carolina, and set out on the road. They went to Disney World, one of Amanda’s favorite places; then spent about a year roaming around Florida, camping and staying in RV parks.

By 2015, Amanda began expressing an interest in riding again, and proposed doing a cross-country bike ride she’d often discussed with her dad. Amanda felt the journey would help her overcome her fear of riding on the road, and Ricky and Donna believed that planning and executing the trip would help Amanda continue to recover from her brain injury.

Amanda sold her car to fund the trip, and Ricky, unable to pedal because ofhis back, drove behind Amanda on a 50cc scooter for nearly 3,000 miles. He equipped the scooter with a mass of flashing LEDs to warn oncoming drivers.

Amanda logged multiple 500-mile weeks during the cross-country ride, and discovered a talent for long-distance cycling. Upon returning to Florida, the family parked its RV in Zephyrhills, a small town outside of Tampa, and not long after discovered Flatwoods, a 20-minute drive away.

At the end of 2015, Amanda began riding with the park’s various groups, and soon met a man named Kurt Searvogel.

Riding alongside Searvogel, Amanda’s mileage soared. She put in 170 miles one day, and recorded more miles on Strava than any other woman in the month of December. Seeing Amanda’s promise, Searvogel suggested she go for the women’s record, saying