|
|
|
PITTSBURG —
Roger Lomshek was honored Monday when he received Live Well Apple Award for the first quarter of 2012 from the Health and Wellness Committee of Crawford County.
On the other hand, he was being recognized for simply following his lifelong passion.
“Our purpose in presenting this award is to recognize individuals and businesses which have positively impacted the health and wellness of Crawford County,” said Joanna Rhodes, Live Well coordinator. “Recipients have been instrumental in creating programming or opportunities for people to implement healthy lifestyle changes.”
Lomshek, owner of Tailwind Cyclists, fits that description. If he had his way, he’d get everybody out on bicycles, getting healthy exercise in the fresh open air.
“I tried a variety of sports, but biking just clicked for me,” he said. “I started riding seriously when I was 12, more seriously than the average kid will ride. I was riding 60 to 70-mile rides pretty regularly by the time I was 14. That’s when I did my first triathlon and my first Bike Across Kansas.”
He went on to do some ProAm racing, and raced against Lance Armstrong some world and Olympic champions. When he realized that he wasn’t going to be able to do it professionally, he thought about other ways of earning a living with bicycles. He had worked in bike shops across the country, so he and his wife, Rebecca, decided to open a shop and started Tailwind Cyclists in 2000.
But Lomshek still spends a lot of his time on a bike, and trying to get other people on bikes, too. He hosts bike rides every New Year’s Day and leads a bike ride every Fourth of July in conjunction with Pittsburg Parks and Recreation Department.
He’s also helped design bicycling/hiking trails in the area.
“We’ve been working on trails at the 23rd Street Bike Park, Wilderness Park and Crawford State Park near Farlington this winter,” Lomshek said.
He promotes bicycle races in Pittsburg, Arma and Walnut which have been the Kansas State Championships for the last seven years, along with the Gorilla Century 100-mile ride which draws nearly 300 rides, both local and visitors, to travel the back roads of southeast Kansas.
“These bring in revenue and help our community in more than one way,” Rhodes noted.
Lomshek has also been a part of the Big Brothers of Big Sisters Get Fit Youth TRYathlon. In cooperation with the Crawford County Sheriff’s Department and area police departments, he gives bicycle safety classes to all elementary schools in the county.
Roger Lomshek was honored Monday when he received Live Well Apple Award for the first quarter of 2012 from the Health and Wellness Committee of Crawford County.
On the other hand, he was being recognized for simply following his lifelong passion.
“Our purpose in presenting this award is to recognize individuals and businesses which have positively impacted the health and wellness of Crawford County,” said Joanna Rhodes, Live Well coordinator. “Recipients have been instrumental in creating programming or opportunities for people to implement healthy lifestyle changes.”
Lomshek, owner of Tailwind Cyclists, fits that description. If he had his way, he’d get everybody out on bicycles, getting healthy exercise in the fresh open air.
“I tried a variety of sports, but biking just clicked for me,” he said. “I started riding seriously when I was 12, more seriously than the average kid will ride. I was riding 60 to 70-mile rides pretty regularly by the time I was 14. That’s when I did my first triathlon and my first Bike Across Kansas.”
He went on to do some ProAm racing, and raced against Lance Armstrong some world and Olympic champions. When he realized that he wasn’t going to be able to do it professionally, he thought about other ways of earning a living with bicycles. He had worked in bike shops across the country, so he and his wife, Rebecca, decided to open a shop and started Tailwind Cyclists in 2000.
But Lomshek still spends a lot of his time on a bike, and trying to get other people on bikes, too. He hosts bike rides every New Year’s Day and leads a bike ride every Fourth of July in conjunction with Pittsburg Parks and Recreation Department.
He’s also helped design bicycling/hiking trails in the area.
“We’ve been working on trails at the 23rd Street Bike Park, Wilderness Park and Crawford State Park near Farlington this winter,” Lomshek said.
He promotes bicycle races in Pittsburg, Arma and Walnut which have been the Kansas State Championships for the last seven years, along with the Gorilla Century 100-mile ride which draws nearly 300 rides, both local and visitors, to travel the back roads of southeast Kansas.
“These bring in revenue and help our community in more than one way,” Rhodes noted.
Lomshek has also been a part of the Big Brothers of Big Sisters Get Fit Youth TRYathlon. In cooperation with the Crawford County Sheriff’s Department and area police departments, he gives bicycle safety classes to all elementary schools in the county.
The father of two sons, Michael and Ethan, he also serves on the board of directors of the Mo-Kan District, Boy Scouts of America. The well-being of youth is a high priority for him.
“I think it’s the job of all of us as citizens of Pittsburg to make southeast Kansas a place where there are healthy, wholesome opportunities for kids,” Lomshek said. “We need to give them healthy outlets, give them something to fill their time that’s good for them.”
That could include organized sports or other outdoor activities, but his personal choice is biking.
“It could be on-road, off-road, fast, slow or family rides, but somewhere there’s a ride for anybody,” Lomshek said.
Anyone wishing to nominate other individuals or businesses for the Live Well Apple Award should contact Rhodes at 232-1930 or livewellcrawfordcounty@gmail.com. Those wishing to learn more about the Health and Wellness Committee of Crawford County may go to www.facebook.com/livewellcrawfordcounty.
