McConnell Airman recovers one pedal push at a time

Published July 26, 2013
By Staff Sgt. Abigail Klein
931st Air Refueling Group Public Affairs

MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. -- When Tech. Sgt. Paul Shattuck the Hydraulics Section Chief of 931st Maintenance Squadron, began his 22-mile bicycle ride June 17, he remembers making a wide turn and then that he had to make a decision to either hit oncoming cars in the left and right lane, or to avoid both cars and ride into a nearby ditch. That was the the last memory he had before waking up in the hospital two-hours later.

Fortunately, Shattuck chose the ditch over the vehicles, and that decision saved his life, but it also resulted in a short hospital stay, and temporarily halted a two-month training regimen for the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa.

In addition to his injuries, Shattuck's helmet was destroyed and his bike was unserviceable.

While this accident might have made most riders gun-shy about ever straddling a bike, Shattuck knew he wanted to continue training for RAGBRAI - a seven-day ride across Iowa that began July 21 and will end July 27.

"I've always believed in getting back on the horse and riding again--I never had a thought of not coming here after going through all the effort of starting the program," said Shattuck, who took leave from his civilian Air Reserve Technician position and funded his own trip to represent the Air Force at RAGBRAI.

After taking it easy for a couple of weeks to recover, Shattuck was back in the "saddle," and joined 94 other Air Force members at the RAGBRAI Starting point in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

So far, Shattuck has completed more than 300 miles of riding, including one day that averaged more than 100 miles, a challenge that was a big motivator for him to recover from his injuries.

"I really wanted to do the 100-mile ride," he said. "I didn't expect it to take 12 hours, but RAGBRAI isn't about how quick you finish the ride, it's about what you do on the ride, and helping everyone out [along the way]."

Before he was 10 miles outside the campsite on the 100-mile day, Shattuck helped two people with flat tires continue their ride.

The decision to continue his commitment to the Air Force Cycling Team at RAGBRAI, was no surprise to those who know Shattuck.

"That's just who he is," said Tech. Sgt. Noel Heyer, a support section technician assigned to the 931st Air Refueling Group, and also a member of the AFCT at RAGBRAI. "We weren't sure he was going to make it, and he had to go get a new bike just to do this but when you're that determined, you just do it."

By July 27, Shattuck and other members of the AFCT will have cycled more than 400 miles when they reach the final RAGBRAI destination in Fort Madison Iowa.

The journey has only continued his more than 20 year of cycling, and he plans to return next year.

"I really love riding and I would encourage anybody to do this at least once," he said. "It's been a fun ride and you really get to kick back and enjoy the whole ride and experience meeting people from other states."

For more information about the AFCT, visit airforcecyclingteam.com. The AFCT is open to all Reserve, Guard, active duty and their families, as well as Air Force civilians and retirees.