“It really puts life in perspective as to how well I have it…And on a side note, it has made me recognize quite a few things - that God certainly has a plan for me..."
Jeff Conaway signed up with Team ZOE to take part in the super-challenging Race Across America. The ZOE goal was to raise awareness of human trafficking, especially involving children.
He loves riding
Jeff got into cycling four years ago. “At first it was more of a means to get me to lose some weight, and get in shape and…as I got into it, it became a very big passion of mine.” He met a lot of people who also enjoy cycling and Jeff eventually met Brad Ortenzi, a bike enthusiast and regional director for ZOE International, a nonprofit organization dedicated to “Rescue every child: End child trafficking” and “Restore survivors and at-risk orphans.”
Brad shared about ZOE’s mission and also about the annual Race Across America. That is an ultra-endurance competitive cycling race that starts in Oceanside, California, with the finish line at Annapolis, Maryland, 3,100 grueling miles later.
Jeff shares, “I was instantly intrigued by the idea of coming to be on their team and racing for them, to be able to use my passion for a cause as grand as ending child trafficking.”
The ride is on!
In 2021, Jeff was asked to be an alternate on the ZOE cycling team. If a rider ‘went down,’ Jeff would take their place and compete. “Fortunately, that didn’t happen.” And ZOE won the national competition. His willingness as an alternate opened the door for Jeff to be chosen as a primary racing team member for the next race in 2023. That put Jeff in full training and prep mode. He even changed his diet “to make sure I put myself in the best position to help the team win.”
The unimaginable
The 7-day race got underway in June of this year. Jeff and the team were 800 or 900 miles into the race when the unimaginable happened halfway through Colorado! Jeff and his bicycle crashed at 54-miles-per hour on a descent in a remote area of the Rocky Mountains near Trinidad, Colorado. Jeff became the rider who ‘went down.’
One fellow racer said, ““When we came around the corner (and saw him), I thought for sure there's a 50% chance he was not alive.”
Memory of the wreck: wiped
When we asked Jeff about the accident, he said “No. I don’t remember a thing.” He remembers the ‘before.’ “We had just finished climbing a hill” with a lot of effort against “a huge headwind.” Pretty much the next thing Jeff recalls is “waking up in a helicopter. At that point I had no idea what was going on. I was really thirsty so I had this mentality that this helicopter was taking me to some place where I was going to get some water and I was going to be right back in the race and keep going.
It wasn’t until I got to the hospital and saw my family - and saw their reaction to them seeing me - that I knew that this was something a little more severe.” That included massive abrasions and a broken jutting out collarbone.
Jeff was later told by his teammates that while on the ground, bleeding and in pain, he was apologetic that he may have hindered the team’s ability to win. By the way, Team ZOE did come in a strong #2 in the national challenge.
Strong recovery, God & wife get big thanks
As his recovery continues, “It’s been a blessing. I feel great.” And Jeff notes that his wife, Chloe, a nurse, was initially concerned that he would never be walking again and was fully prepared to “take care of me for the rest of her life.”
“From that, and where I am today is nothing short of a miracle.” Now, just weeks after the crash, Jeff has gotten the green light from his medical team to go back to work. He’s still “nursing” his collarbone, but his wounds have healed. He’s going on daily hikes with his family and even riding a stationary bike. “Back to my normal way of life and couldn’t be happier!”
Trauma like the bike wreck and massive injuries could have caused discouragement, but “to be honest, it was the opposite. Two things. I was just happy to be alive, knowing I crashed at a speed of 54-miles-per-hour.” Knowing that his recovery is going extremely well, “It really puts life in perspective as to how well I have it…And on a side note, it has made me recognize quite a few things - that God certainly has a plan for me and he helped me get to the point where I can recover - and it really showed the love and support I have from so many in my life.” From his heart, Jeff declares, “And quite frankly, I don’t think I would have recovered in the way I have if it wasn’t for God and it wasn’t for the people in my life that helped support us.”
In talking with Jeff, there was a question that had to be asked: Are you going to attempt a cross-country race again? Quick response, “Yeah, absolutely. I mean in my mind I have unfinished business and I need closure. I need to see that I can see it through.” He explains that ZOE takes part in the coast-to-coast race every-other-year, “So as long as the team wants me back, I have every intention of being on that team” in 2025.
Be encouraged by the complete interview with Jeff Conaway in our podcast just below. He has some definite life thoughts.
