volunteers showcase: group 3

With nicknames like "Take Me Home", Group 3 includes a SAG wagon driver as well as a couple with a combined 28 years of supporting the tour. Read about these characters and other volunteers below:

Name: Derek Johnson
Nickname: Woody, Take Me Home
How long have you been volunteering for RTR? 7 years.
What roles have you played as a volunteer? Banner Truck, Aid Station, Aid Truck
What is your favorite RTR memory? The Estes Park Sag.
Why do you keeping coming back each year? Are you kidding me? These are the greatest people in the world to work with and the riders are always a kick.
What piece of advice would you offer a first-time RTR participant? Hydrate. No, seriously, Drink LOTS of beer.
What do you do in your spare time? I kinda like to travel and maybe scuba dive once in a while.
What Colorado town is your favorite? I’m partial to Durango and Crested Butte.
Name: Peg Lamin
How long have you been volunteering for RTR? This will be my third year.
What roles have you played as a volunteer? Road Marshal and Aid Station.
What is your favorite RTR memory? Every day has a new memory.
Why do you keeping coming back each year? The bike riders are amazing and I enjoy seeing all the sites in Colorado.
What piece of advice would you offer a first-time RTR participant? Since I’ve never ridden it, I’m not sure I’m in a position to give advice. May, be careful and enjoy!
What do you do in your spare time? I like camping, hiking and biking, and I do all kinds of dancing including Swing and Ballroom.
What Colorado towns are your favorite?I’m from Minnesota, so I enjoy seeing all the towns in Colorado.
Names: Anastazya Lencz
How long have you been volunteering for RTR? This will be year 14.
What roles have you played as a volunteer? Road Marshal, Aid Station, Executive Liaison, Baggage and SAG.
What is your favorite RTR memory? I don’t have a favorite because every year is different and they all have special memories. A couple of years, we went through my home town of Walsenburg. A few years, we went through Cortez, one of my favorite spots in Colorado. One year, going through New Mexico. Some years going through Craig. Other years going through the Black Canyon of Gunnison.
Why do you keeping coming back each year? The beauty of Colorado, the excitement of the ride, the smiles on the cyclist’s faces, the camaraderie of the volunteers and the most important – helping the smaller communities of Colorado.
What piece of advice would you offer a first-time RTR participant? Train and have fun.
What do you do in your spare time? Teaching yoga, riding motorcycles, touring in Pennsylvania taking pictures of the remaining covered bridges.
What Colorado town is your favorite? Cortez. The beauty of the high plateau and the pinon trees.
b>Name: Katie McManus
How long have you been volunteering for RTR? 4 years.
What roles have you played as a volunteer? Aid Station Attendant and Road Marshal.
What is your favorite RTR memory? The last two years have been my favorite. My entire family came on the ride. My husband and two sons rode the route and my daughter and I were volunteers. These have been two of the best family vacations we have had.
Why do you keeping coming back each year? I was born and raised in Colorado. I have never been to even half of the towns RTR visits each year. This is my opportunity to get to know the state.
What piece of advice would you offer a first-time RTR participant? Remember, you have all day to finish. Take your time, enjoy the ride, and stay safe.
What do you do in your spare time? Shopping, babysitting my granddaughter, shopping, going to the movies, shopping, home decorating.
What Colorado town is your favorite? Durango.
Name: Nikki McManus
Nickname: Niks
How long have you been volunteering for RTR? Four years.
What roles have you played as a volunteer? Aid Station, Marshal, and SAG.
What is your favorite RTR memory? Whooping it up with the volunteers and family at Scarlet in Leadville. (Also, the cherry truffles in Chama, NM!)
Why do you keeping coming back each year? I absolutely love being in the mountains in the summer! That, combined with the energy of 2,000 cyclists, the hilarious RTR crew, and time spent with my family (who all come along) makes Ride The Rockies a pretty sweet vacation.
What piece of advice would you offer a first-time RTR participant? Be patient, especially when you first hit the climbs.
What do you do in your spare time? Cycling, running, reading, teaching, peanut butter.
What Colorado town is your favorite? Grand Lake
Name: Ed and Sue Roberts
How long have you been volunteering for RTR? Sue for eight years and Ed for seven years. Ed rode for two years before volunteering.
What roles have you played as a volunteer? Aid Stations, Road Marshal when needed.
What is your favorite RTR memory? Sue – First year doing Worm’s Rookie Review and working at the Aid Station at the top of Trailridge. It was so beautiful with snow around and herd of Elk just below us; Ed – Loading bicycles onto semi trailers in Estes Park.
Why do you keeping coming back each year? The friendships made with the other volunteers and the feeling of accomplishment at the end of each day when all of the riders are in. Working at an Aid Station gives us a chance to visit with the riders and hear their stories about getting there. The excitement the riders display always lets us know how well the ride is going. It’s fun!
What piece of advice would you offer a first-time RTR participant? It’s not a race. Enjoy the beauty of Colorado and the fun each town offers to the riders. Train, train, train. Learn to love the climbs. It will make the ride fun and you will be able to enjoy the scenery, the towns, and the other riders. Ride safely for yourself and the other riders.
What do you do in your spare time? We live in the mountains where there are a lot of hiking trails. In the spring it is beautiful! In the winter we go to Tucson where were volunteer on rides sponsored by GABA. We have a lot of visitors and that keeps us pretty busy. Sue volunteers twice a week at St. Mary’s Hospital and workings in their Thrift Shop. Ed rides his bike mornings and hikes every afternoon in Tucson Mountain Park with our dog, Apache.
What Colorado town is your favorite? Leadville, Crested Butte, Durango, Chama, NM.
Name: Tom Marucco and Bobbi Shupe
How long have you been volunteering for RTR? Twelve years each – Tom missed 2006 because he crewed for a RAAM rider.
What roles have you played as a volunteer? Tom – Marshal, Aid, Baggage, AM Signs; Bobbi – Marshal, Aid.
What is your favorite RTR memory? At the risk of sounding too sappy – meeting each other.
Why do you keeping coming back each year? So Tom can ride and have a place to stay at the end of the day, not to mention that it’s a week with a great group of people.
What piece of advice would you offer a first-time RTR participant? From Tom – Ride conservatively the first 60-90 minutes of each day.
What do you do in your spare time? Road and mountain biking, horses, teach water aerobics, hunting, fishing, hiking.
What Colorado town is your favorite? Gunnison and Crested Butte.