Project Hero bike ride continues during extreme heat

(ABC 6 News) – The extreme heat has already canceled or delayed a number of local events, but Project Hero is still hosting their annual Great Lakes Challenge Ride.

It’s the sixth year Project Hero is holding the bike ride for current and former military and law enforcement. The goal is to help those suffering from mental and physical issues they’ve gotten from their service.

John Baker is a veteran and ride leader and has been involved with Project Hero since 2017.

“This is just a great way to be with those that have served and have been where I’ve been and understand what I’ve been through, and get active and healthy,” said Baker.

The hot weather was not going to stop their five-day bike ride from St. Paul, MN to Madison, WI.

“We did the entire ride today, we just stopped a little bit more and a little bit longer and drank a lot,” said Baker.

To make sure the 35 riders stayed safe, they took longer and more frequent breaks – and of course, drank plenty of water.

That’s the number one thing Mayo Clinic Dr. Steven Maher recommends to avoid heat stroke.

“They should drink lots of water, plenty of it, and once they get into the second or third bottle of water they can start adding something like an electrolyte drink,” said Maher.

Failure to stay hydrated might cause you to get heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

“When you get into heat stroke, your core body temperature rises oftentimes over 40 degrees centigrade, and you get confusion and multi-organ dysfunction and that’s a very bad place to be,” said Maher.

Project Hero made sure to follow this advice to keep everybody safe on the trails.

Though the best thing to do during extreme heat is to stay inside where it’s cool, if you must be out in the sun, remember to stay hydrated.