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May 17, 2010

When he was only 22 years old, Rick Stephens was one of nine people to survive a plane crash in the Colorado mountains that left him with numerous broken bones and required him to undergo months of rehabilitation.

Stephens was traveling with the Wichita State football team when the plane crashed. He made a full recovery but never returned to the game of football.

That was in 1970. Now, Stephens is heading on a 1,009-mile bike ride to raise money to battle breast cancer, reports KansasCity.com.

He is 62 years old now, and is still pushing himself everyday. The survivor refuses to let his age or condition prevent him from achieving his goals. On an average day he bikes up to 20 miles. Those 20 mile bike rides have prepared him for his fourth Wichita-to-Winnipeg bike ride.

"There's a sense of enjoyment, a sense of self-reliance you get when it's just you, a bicycle and the road. When you test the weakest part of yourself, it makes you feel alive," Stephens told the news provider.

Stephens is taking part in the bike ride to raise money for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure which is an event that raises money for breast cancer research.

Surviving a plane crash can be emotionally and mentally jarring. The US Department of Transportation says the average American has a 1 in 2,067,000 chance of the being killed in a plane crash.

For survivors of a plane crash there are many available resources. Most plane crash survivors suffer from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The Mayo Clinic lists several treatments and medications that are available to individuals suffering from PTSD including antidepressants and several psychotherapy treatments.

The Crash Survivors Network provides information and support for those who have sustained an injury or disability due to a traumatic such as a car or plane crash. They also provide resources to help individuals deal with grief and loss.

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