This year’s RAGBRAI — the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa — will be the 26th outing for the Dream Team organization.
This year’s group of central Iowa teenagers, referred to the program by a school counselor, started doing indoor spin classes the first week of March. They moved to bicycling outdoors in April. This is the third year Scott Matter has been one of the Dream Team’s adult mentors.
“We had many rides in April when it was very cold and windy — those are very challenging,” Matter said, with a laugh. “…For our youth and our mentors, you really have to dedicated to doing this and to accomplishing your goal.”
The 35 teens on this year’s Dream Team will ride every mile of RAGBRAI alongside their 30 or so mentors. Matter has had a front row seat, so to speak, to watch the grit of these kids and their five month transformation.