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She's been sharing that freedom with disabled children for the past five years through The Little Red Dog Foundation, which provides customized cycles to handicapped children.
Guthrie recently switched gears to help 12 severely injured veterans obtain cycles for the upcoming Lt. Dan Bike Ride at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort. Friends, family and the community (children and adults), are invited to ride with these military heroes around an 11-mile loop at the air station from 8 a.m. to noon Oct. 2.
LITTLE RED DOG
The inspiration for the organization's name came to Guthrie from her little (slightly) red dachshund, Stephanie. Since founding Little Red Dog, the Lady's Island resident has written grants and overseen fundraisers to give cycles to nearly 200 children since 2005.
Now the veterans are getting her support as well. Guthrie has spoken with about 20 of the 50 veterans to assess their needs.
She is organizing cycles to be given to the veterans who don't have them with the help of Ambucs chapters from across the nation. Ambucs is a nonprofit service organization consisting of a diverse group of men and women who are dedicated to creating mobility and independence for people with disabilities. Without Ambucs' help, The Little Red Dog Foundation only had enough money to provide three cycles.
"At first I thought, 'How do you give three Popsicles to 12 children?,' " Guthrie said of the veterans. "I got on the phone with Ambucs (and) said 'What can we do? Where can I get this money? ... Ambucs jumped at the chance."
The special hand-pedaled, or recumbent, cycles are hand-made and tailored to each rider, which can cost about $800. Guthrie has enlisted her own army of physical therapists to help fit each veteran with his or her cycle Sept. 30.
"I feel like they are family to me," said Guthrie of the veterans, some blind, some with severe head injuries, others who lost arms, legs or both in the war. "I kind of feel like I'm their aunt."
The veterans are coming to Beaufort from Sept. 29 through Oct. 2 for the Lt. Dan Weekend, courtesy of the Independence Fund, founded by Steve Danyluk, a retired U.S. Marine. The fund offers injured veterans services not being covered by the federal government. The weekend includes seminars for the veterans, a pampering day for their caregivers and a day of fun on the water Sept. 30.
Actor Gary Sinise will bring his Lt. Dan Band to Beaufort for a performance at the Beaufort Shrimp Festival on Oct. 1. Sinise played Lt. Dan, a double amputee injured in Vietnam, in the Oscar-winning film "Forrest Gump," which was partially filmed in Beaufort.
ARM CYCLIST
Dennis Leonard of Hershey, Pa., a combat engineer who was injured in 2007, will ride his arm cycle at the Beaufort ride and invites area residents join him.
"The more the merrier," said Leonard, who lost his legs below the knees in an explosion in Iraq.
Throughout everything he's endured, Leonard says having a sense of humor is important.
"I wear a T-shirt that says 'I got blown up in Iraq and all I got was this lousy T-shirt,' " he said. "You have to have a good sense of humor. If you take it seriously, it is harder to deal with it and you can let it pull you down."
The retired U.S. Army sergeant began riding in 2008 and rides three nights a week. He says riding is euphoric, and he's found it improves his mobility in his wheelchair.
"The arm cycle builds up body strength in the arms, shoulders, back and chest muscles," Leonard said. "Bike riding builds up your endurance and you can do a lot more stuff in the chair. I probably wouldn't have built up as much muscle if I had just sat in the chair."
Psychologically, he finds escape on the road.
"It is relaxing. You see a different view of the world and you forget about stuff when you are riding," Leonard said.
Leonard is looking forward to the Lt. Dan Bike Ride for the camaraderie and the chance to share ideas with other veterans on adapting to the lifestyle of having a disability.
"Any way I can get out and meet other people and groups or that I can do some stuff for is always nice," he said. "It will also be good to be able to meet other people who are in the same situation I'm in."
