THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, July 29, 1995 TAG: 9507280005
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A10 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 34 lines
The Tour de France: A cyclist on the Motorola team was killed on a downhill run. Oh no, I thought, was he wearing his helmet? He wasn't, and he died from head injuries.
My oldest son is a bicycle racer. Last year he was a member of the Motorola team and lived in France. Norman now races for the Saturn team in the United States. But even if he had been racing in the Tour de France, even if he had been involved in the crash, he would have probably survived because he always wears his helmet.
It was 16 years ago, when Norman was a beginning cyclist at the age of 16, that he began wearing a helmet. I had forgotten just why he became convinced that it was important. He told me when we were discussing the tragedy on the phone.
``You told me, Mom,'' he said, ``that if I ever rode without a helmet, you would put a padlock on the refrigerator door.''
I did? It is amazing how we can be inspired in very creative ways!
I give thanks to God that I was able to make a difference in my son's life, one that would convince him to wear his helmet. He has suffered falls and broken bones but has always recovered to race again.
JEANNETTE ROWDEN
Virginia Beach, July 20, 1995 by CNB