Gabby Giffords Credits Bikes with Helping Her Heal from Assassination Attempt
Nearly five years after being critically injured during an assassination attempt, former Arizona Congresswoman Gabby Giffords completed the 40-mile El Tour de Tucson ride Saturday.
Giffords, who is still mostly paralyzed on the right side of her body, rode a recumbent bike adorned with the ride’s coveted No. 1 number plate and an American flag. Her husband, former NASA astronaut Mark Kelly, accompanied her on a disc brake-equipped Specialized Roubaix. The two finished the 11-mile route last year, and Giffords decided almost immediately afterward to do the longer ride the following year.
The former Congresswoman has been training several days a week for the longer distance, telling the Associated Press that getting back on her bike was a major milestone in her recovery. She finished this year’s ride in just over four hours, calling the experience “awesome” on Twitter.
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“Mark and I are so excited to be back riding in the El Tour again, and to join with so many of our fellow Tucsonans and with people from around the world for a ride around our community,” she told the AP. “I want everyone recovering from an injury or setback to know that determination and a little grit can take you a long, long way, and help you achieve things you might have thought were impossible.”
Giffords was holding a “Congress on Your Corner” event outside a Tucson grocery store when she was shot in the head on January 8, 2011. Six people were killed, including a federal judge and a nine-year-old girl. The shooter, Jared Lee Loughner, never disclosed his motive and was later sentenced to life in prison.
After several months of intense therapy, Giffords briefly returned to Congress, but eventually decided to resign to focus on her health. She has vowed to return to public service and has since become an advocate for stricter gun regulations, launching the lobbying group Americans for Responsible Solutions with Kelly.
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