SNOW SHOE — For Sharon Nilson, the miles have never been the point.
This spring, the Snow Shoe area EMS chief in status will ride from Jamestown, Va. to Spartanburg, S.C. as part of the National EMS Memorial Bike Ride.
The event is a multi-day journey honoring emergency medical service professionals who died in the line of duty. Along the way, Nilson will carry a dog tag bearing the name of a fallen provider. It’s a symbol she says has come to define the purpose behind every climb, turn and difficult stretch of road.
“My husband and I used to go down to the National EMS Memorial when it was held in Roanoke,” Nilson said. “We were always invested in EMS and it was to honor anybody who died in the line of duty in EMS.”
Nilson said she first noticed the bike riders arriving at the memorial years ago and immediately felt drawn to the idea, even if she did not yet know how to get involved. That opportunity came later, when a challenge was issued at a state EMS conference. Her husband stepped in on her behalf, and Nilson soon found herself riding her first route from Bucks County to Taneytown, Maryland.
“I fell in love with the bike ride,” she said. “They’re great people. We’re doing it to honor and memorialize people.”
Over the last 15 years, Nilson has completed multiple rides along the East Coast route from Boston to Washington, D.C. This year, she decided to change things up by joining the southern route, a ride that typically stretches hundreds of miles and includes long days of cycling, steep climbs and unpredictable conditions.
While Nilson has always enjoyed biking, she said she did not come into the experience as a long-distance rider.
“I always enjoyed biking where I grew up,” she said. “That’s how we got where we needed to go. Swim team practice, football practice…I rode my bike. I’ve always enjoyed bike riding and found the relaxation in it.”
Each participant in the ride carries a dog tag engraved with the name of a fallen EMS professional. For Nilson, that small piece of metal carries immense weight.
“It’s so powerful to have this dog tag on,” she said. “When I’m having a miserable time — serious climbing and it’s wearing me down — I remind myself that I’m riding for someone who is no longer with us and who can’t do what I’m doing. And it keeps me going forward.”
Along the route, riders stop at fire companies, EMS stations and memorial services to read names, ring bells and, when families are present, exchange the dog tags.
“The families are always just so involved and appreciative of what we’re representing,” Nilson said. “We’re trying to bring forth the idea that EMS is a dangerous profession. Sometimes we don’t even know what we’re walking into.”
Nilson said she keeps one of every dog tag from every ride, carrying them with her each year.
“They go with me everywhere I go when I’m riding,” she said. “It’s always very touching.”
Nilson is currently raising funds to cover the cost of participating in the ride. Any money raised beyond that will be donated to EMS memorial efforts, including support for families and the broader push to establish a permanent National EMS memorial in Washington, D.C.
“We don’t have anything like that in EMS,” she said. “Our memorial right now is a traveling memorial. We’re trying to establish something where people can go year-round.”
“All the people I ride with are EMS providers,” she said. “Doctors, nurses, paramedics, EMTs, dispatchers. We’re all there for the main purpose — to remember our fallen providers and to bring to light that EMS is a dangerous profession.”
Those interested in supporting Nilson’s ride can send donations directly to her at 101 S. Michellin Ave., Snow Shoe, PA 16874. For additional information, contact Nilson at (814) 360-0007 or by email at sdnilson@gmail.com
For Nilson, the ride is not about endurance or distance. It is about carrying names forward and making sure they are never forgotten.
