Cycle of life

Biking has been a part of Ana Bailie's life since she was about 8.

"My father began taking me on long bike rides on Sunday afternoons. Eventually, we'd do 10 or 20 miles. I enjoyed having the one-on-one time with my Dad and I knew there would be ice cream," said Bailie, care coordinator for Community Care Services with Visiting Nurse Health System in Atlanta. "Now, biking is just me. It's part of who I am."

When she attended the Medical College of Georgia Nursing School in Augusta, Bailie didn't own a car and rode a bike to get around campus. After graduating, Bailie began to take biking and running more seriously and competed in triathlons.

Her husband, Andy, has competed in USA Cycling races.

"When the children were born, we decided to take time off from riding for awhile and sold our bikes, but as our daughters grew, we slowly rebuilt our collection," said Bailie, RN, BSN.

"When our oldest daughter was in third grade, we would bike together the two miles to school, with my younger daughter behind in a tag-along seat," she said.

The family now owns nine bikes — a tandem, four dirt bikes and four road bikes — and the girls, who are 17 and 13, have grown up biking with their parents.

"Five years ago, we began participating in the annual Bike Ride Across Georgia (BRAG) each summer," Bailie said.

Between 1,500 and 2,000 riders take to the road on the weeklong, family-oriented event, which was started in 1980. The ride follows a different route each year; next year's route starts in Atlanta and travels to St. Simon's Island.

"You ride from 6:30 (a.m.) to noon each day" Bailie said. "The staff hauls your stuff and at night you camp out in schools. You can either purchase a meal through the group or go into town to eat, and see the sights.

"In the afternoon and evenings, people play cards and games, watch movies and hang out. You meet a lot of fun people."

Among them are Special Olympics athletes and members of the Dream Team — a group of about 10 middle school kids from low-income families who are given bikes, equipment and a mentor to coach them through the rigorous ride. Those who complete the tour get to keep their bikes, helmets and accessories.

A nurse since 1982, Bailie has worked in home health care, parish nursing and school nursing. In her role as care coordinator for Community Care Services, she assesses elderly and/or functionally impaired patients to see if they qualify for the program.

The program, which operates under the State Department of Human Resources's Division of Aging, links patients to community-based resources, such as an emergency response system, home-delivered meals and personal support services. The services allow patients to live in their homes and not be placed in nursing homes.

"I like that this job pulls together the skills of nurses and social workers and that I get to interact with some really neat people," she said.

Bailie, who likes to swim and run in her spare time, sometimes rides her bike the four miles to the office.

"The exercise definitely keeps me fit and that helps my nursing," she said. "Biking has also brought my family closer together. It's a fun activity we can do together; one that creates strong ties."