Recovery Route

“I became determined to get back on the bike, and when I did, I just tried to make progress every day.” he said. “The challenge keeps me motivated. I’m always looking for what I can do today to make a better tomorrow.”

One thing that has remained important to OBrien is maintaining a connection with the trauma team and orthopedic surgeons who helped save his life.

“I know it probably happens all the time – trauma patients come into the hospital and after they leave, the trauma team wonders what happened to that person,” he said. “We just have so much appreciation for the EMTs that arrived, the medivac team, Dr. [Robert] Schenck, and the whole team who helped me. I really appreciate what the whole team was able to do for us all those years ago.”

OBrien’s wife, Lynn Christensen, said the team at UNMH made the two of them and their two daughters feel supported after the accident.

“The doctors truly cared about our whole family,” Christensen said. “They were extremely supportive.”

OBrien and Christensen are currently in the middle of their cross-country trip. In what he’s calling his “Rise 2 Ripple Challenge,” OBrien is taking 46 days – from June 14 to July 31 – to travel from Astoria, Ore., to Yorktown, Va., on his bike. Christensen is following OBrien along in an RV with their two dogs, Jester and Hope.

After each ride, OBrien posts daily to social media to update his supporters and followers. Additionally, each day during his Instagram Live posting, OBrien highlights a charity, non-profit, or organization – including the UNM Health Sciences Center and the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City.

“I wanted to use this ride as a way to share that there’s really good people in the world doing really amazing things,” he said. “I couldn’t just pick one charity. So, some are domestic, some are global, but they all have one thing in common – they all help people live better lives.”