 |
Jenny Kast, back row left, with Lance Armstrong. |
 |
Jenny Kast, left, rides with Lance Armstrong during part of this year’s RAGBRAI. |
Kast, a UNMC physical therapy student, was among the 10,000 registered riders in this year’s Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI).
It was there, during the annual seven-day bicycle ride across Iowa that she met seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, who joined RAGBRAI riders in what is the longest, largest and oldest touring bicycle ride in the world.
Kast was riding up hill about eight miles before Newton, Iowa, and mid-way through the 472-mile bicycle ride. As her speed decreased, she felt a hand on her back.
“He asked if I needed a push and I said ‘yes,’ ” Kast said.
Armstrong rode side by side with Kast for about a mile, long enough for her to take a few pictures and listen to his Tour de France experiences.
“I was all smiles the whole time riding in his presence,” she said. “I felt like I could ride forever. My heart was racing and I knew it was a once-in-a-life-time opportunity.”
Although Armstrong is a great cyclist, Kast said it is his commitment to helping others, particularly those with cancer, which is especially inspiring.
“He is a supreme human being who gives others hope,” Kast said. “There is something inside of him that no one can duplicate and he is using whatever it is for good by making people more aware of cancer.”