A Pittsburgh-based relay team’s journey across America

Halfway through their bike race across the country, Pittsburgh-based Team PHenomenal Hope is using the Ride Across America (RAAM) to raise awareness for Pulmonary Hypertension. Team PHenomenal Hope is a 4-woman bicycle team that was officially launched in 2012 at the Pulmonary Hypertension Association International Conference.

Right now, Anne-Marie Alderson, Patricia George, Ryanne Palermo and Stacie Truskowski are riding their way across the United States, along with a 13-person crew racing over 3,000 miles, through 12 states, taking turns as they cover approximately 375 miles per day in 8 nonstop days. Starting in Oceanside, CA the competition will run 24/7 until racers cross the finish line in Annapolis, MD and must be completed in 9 days maximum, meeting time cut-offs across the way. Currently, the team is bicycling through Illinois, having just passed time stop #36 in Greenville. They have 923.8 miles to go. Keep track of the team’s location here.

Riders of steel

Anne-Marie Alderson is the team’s Iron(wo)Man. She finished her first Ironman distance race (2.4 mile open water swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run) in 2010, placing 38th out of 97 finishers in her age group in 13 hours, 23 minutes, 21 seconds. Patricia George is the team’s only non-Pennsylvania native, but now calls the City of Bridges ‘home.’ She is a Pulmonologist/Lung Transplant Physician in the UPMC Comprehensive Pulmonary Hypertension Clinic. Ryanne Palermo organized a 10-woman bike tour from Washington, DC to Pittsburgh, PA in the summer of 2012. She and teammate Stacie Truszkowski rode both ways, making the ride 750-miles in length in 8.5 days.

With support from the community, Team PHenomenal Hope is working to raise awareness about pulmonary hypertension and find a cure.

For more info about Team PHenomenal Hope: click here.

To learn more about RAAM: click here.

Follow the riders on Twitter or on their blogs here: @AnneMarieAldrsn | @PGeorgeMD | @flyinRyo | http://palermogirl.blogspot.com | http://Stacie3bikes.blogspot.com

Not a member of BikePGH? Join today! We need you to add your voice! Bike Pittsburgh works to protect cyclist’s rights and promote the vision of making Pittsburgh a safer and more enjoyable place to live and to ride. For more info, check out: www.bikepgh.org/membership