April 23... Tad Hamilton helps local Amputee get Bike

<<Story reprinted with permission from The Idaho Statesman>>

Kouba said it: If it wasn't for bad luck...
By Dan Kouba
When I heard about Mark Bittle's story, I was shocked, pissed, sad and amazed all at once. How could so much bad luck happen to one guy?

Mark's story began three years ago this May 8 while riding his motorcycle through Jordan Valley. At approximately 2 a.m., he was run off the road. The driver of the car kept going.

To hear Mark calmly retell the basics of the accident is almost unnerving.
"I went into a pile of rocks doing about 75 or 80 miles per hour. So, uh, I looked down, and my foot is sitting up here (Mark points to his chest). I knew, I knew I was in trouble."

Making a tourniquet out of his belt, Mark laid in a pool of blood 200 yards from the side of the road for 6 hours, slipping in and out of consciousness. No one could see or hear his cries for help. Mark admits thinking he was a goner.
"Then I heard the 'whop, whop, whop' of the LifeFlight helicopter," he says.
Mark's life was saved, but he lost his left leg an inch-and-a-half below the knee, and has limited use of his right hand.

Since the accident, Mark has become an avid mountain bike rider with the use of a prosthetic. His ride is a red-and-white Specialized Hardrock with a yellow Rock Shox fork, a Trek headlight and an emergency flasher on the seat.

"It's the only way I can keep my leg in shape. It hurts a lot to do too much walking, and my prosthesis doesn't allow me to do any running.

"I rode that bike everywhere. If I couldn't sleep, I'd get up at 4:30 in the morning and ride my bike on the Greenbelt and race out to Eagle Island State Park."
So at this point we have a feel-good story about a guy who is making the most out of a bad situation by riding a bicycle, his two-wheeled salvation, if you will. Unfortunately there's more to this story.

A few weeks ago, Mark's mountain bike was stolen from in front of his apartment complex.

"I locked it outside one night when I should have brought it in. They have a bike room in the apartment's basement, and I usually put it in there, but this time I planned on getting up early the next morning.

"When I walked out the next morning, my bike was gone. The half-inch thick cable was laying on the ground."

How's that saying go? "When it rains, it pours?"

In typical Mark fashion, he didn't get bitter or angry. He knows the crook didn't steal the Specialized specifically cuz it was his ride, and it's not like the thief knew an amputee needed the bike for rehab. Not having enough cash to buy another bike, all Mark could do was chalk the theft up as another bump in life's rough road.

In steps Tad Hamilton. Now I know what a few of you are thinking — first, who is Tad Hamilton, and second, is it the same "Tad Hamilton" from last year's cheesy teen-heartthrob flick?

Tad is a local pro bicycle racer who got wind of Mark's story from an ad placed in The Idaho Statesman's "Somebody's Needs You" section.

"Amputee needs mountain bike or light frame and parts to make his own," it read.

That's when Tad started a donation drive to get Mark back on two wheels. So far the response has been good in just a few days, passed on by word of mouth and e-mails, but there's a long way to go before Mark has a bike.

I wanted to get the skinny on Tad, but our hero was unavailable for comment cuz he's been down and out in Central America with his iOmega-Orbea race team.

Asked how the attention makes him feel, Mark says it hasn't sunk in yet.
"It blew me away when I got a call from Tad. I'd never heard of him, but I'd like to meet him. I'm grateful.

" That bike, it meant a lot to me," Mark said, "but knowing there are people out there wanting to help, that means even more."

I know everyone's wallet is feelin' the pinch, but every dollar will go a long way in helping out a good cause. If you can help in any way, donations are being accepted by Jeff Gasser, Tad's friend and local racer, at 4235 S. Pinerest Way, Boise, Idaho, 83716, 867-2488.

Tad has promised to sign autographs and will be giving away swag from his movie "Win A Date With Tad Hamilton" when he gets back. OK, that's a lie, but he's riding a bicycle in a foreign country, so what can he do about it?