Osborne Murray heard the calls of encouragement from the cyclists ahead of him as he tackled a hill.
The sergeant with the Warrior Transition Battalion has conquered many hills in the past year, but this one showed how far he has come since a neck injury caused him to lose his ability to speak and paralyzed his right side. In October, he was in a wheelchair, but on Sunday he was cycling for the second time this year.
Those encouraging voices also reminded him he couldn’t have gotten far without the support of those who work closely with him at the WTB — the same people who rode Sunday with Murray, including WTB commander Greg Hopkins, during the Celebrity Classic.
“They were helping me get through with the hill,” said, Murray, who has been able to relearn speech. “If not for them, I would not have been able to get through it.”
The WTB participated in the cycling leg of the Celebrity Classic for the first time Sunday as 28 wounded warriors navigated a 40-mile course that began at the Columbus Civic Center and wove through Fort Benning.
The Celebrity Classic consists of four legs: golf, tennis, running and cycling. Each event raises money to support the John B. Amos Cancer Center at Columbus Regional Hospital. The tennis event featured about 15 professional players from around the world while the golf tournament featured about 30 professional golfers from around the Southeast.
This year’s Celebrity Classic raised $251,000, which Karen Cook, director of the Columbus Regional Medical Foundation, said was on par with the average amount raised over the past several years.
“There is no other charity event in Columbus that raises the funds that the Celebrity Classic does,” Cook said. It’s great to have something designated specifically for the cancer center for them to tap into when they need it.”
Cook said Fort Benning makes a perfect site for the bike course because of its lower speed limits and lighter traffic flow and it provides an opportunity for the Columbus community to integrate with the military.
“It’s so important to know the partnership and value the military has in the community,” Cook said. “To partner with wounded warriors when they’re going through the most difficult time of their lives, medically, it just makes sense.”
Commanding general Robert Brown also rode in the event and spoke to cyclists moments before send-off.
“It’s a great cause for the fight against cancer,” Brown said. “You see a lot of great heroes out here. Every person makes a difference. When you do something for someone who can never repay you, which Soldiers do every day, it makes you feel good.”
Event entry fees for the wounded warriors were paid for by The Bike Shop of Columbus, which has supported the WTB in the past by donating bikes and equipment.
“They’ve always been sponsoring our rides,” Hopkins said. “The Army doesn’t buy these bikes for us. We have to have external supporters. Those bikes were real light. I probably could have picked one up with a finger.”
Murray was helped to a van after his ride was over, where a physical trainer began relieving tightness and cramps in his joints. Through the pain, he smiled and said the ride was more than worth it.
“This is like night and day,” Murray said. “I could hardly take care of myself last year. It makes me feel like I can do even more. It shows you can do what you want to do if you turn your mind to it.”
