by Steve Bruemmer

I first rode the WCC in 1994, where at the fifty mile rest stop I saw a most enchanting woman, standing in a circle of ten female friends. I made several trips to the fruit stand just beyond them, hoping to say hello, but without luck. No chance saying hello on the road, either, since they rode much too fast for my friend and me to catch.

We finally met during the post-ride barbecue, at the trash can. With a romantic intro like that, it’s no surprise we married a year and a half later. One of Brita’s biking friends gave us a special wedding gift: two t-shirts from that century ride stenciled with “From trash can to altar, ain’t life grand!” That trash can was the best thing that ever happened to me.

We rode the WCC 4 more times, the most important being in 2025, celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary. That year was also a comeback for me. I’d been gravely injured by a great white shark attack in June of 2022. After nearly dying and three years of hard work by both of us, I was finally able to ride a bike well enough to complete the WCC again, albeit just the 100k. It was a beautiful, full-circle moment for us that we’ll never forget.

We are returning in 2026 hoping to start a new tradition. Our daughter Alice will be riding with us, attempting her first century, and if all goes well, we will be back in 2027, too!