FORT BENNING, Ga., (Aug. 17, 2016) -- Sgts. Nicholas Pordan, Brandon Williams, William Bradley and Spc. Phat Nguyen, all with A Troop, 2nd Squadron, 16th Cavalry Regiment, battled this summer's sweltering heat to bike 100 miles for cancer.
"We don't get to do a lot of physical training. So when we were off cycle, we decided that we wanted to double our PT. We all have bikes so we started bike riding. Then one day the chain of command let us have extended PT and we decided to Google some trail rides," said Pordan.
That's when the team came across the Great Cycle Challenge.
"We clicked on it and discovered that we could ride for cancer. One of our noncommissioned officers goes to the Warrior Transition Unit for cancer, so we created a team profile and started," said Pordan.
To complete their goal, the team rode around Fort Benning. They'd also meet at the National Infantry Museum, Oxbow Meadows or the Civic Center.
"A lot of it was done at the RiverWalk. We'd bike different parts for a change of pace," said Pordan.
During the Great Cycle Challenge, the team's family and friends would donate, explained Pordan.
"We had two weeks to hit 100 miles per person for a collective total of 400 miles," said Pordan.
Although the team did one 20-mile ride, they normally rode about 12 to 15 miles per ride. It would take them about three or four hours depending on the time of day, said Pordan.
"If it was in the afternoons, we'd stop and take more breaks to drink water. We had to stay hydrated," added Bradley.
As Great Cycle Challenge participants, they used an app to track the mileage, explained Pordan.
Pordan, Williams, Bradley and Nguyen said biking the miles brought them closer together.
"Since starting this we've come together a lot more. The camaraderie has improved," said Williams.
"We spent a lot of off-duty hours together," said Bradley.
Before, there wasn't a lot of time spent together after work, added Nguyen.
According to Pordan, William, Bradley and Nguyen, riding for charity is something they'd all do again in the future.
"Right now, we're working with Charity Miles, another organization that allows you to bike or run for a charity of your choice," said Pordan.
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