Atlanta Firefighters Plan 1,000 Mile Bike Ride – Group to Compete in 2011 World Police & Fire Games
August 31, 2010, Gilmer County, Georgia – Atlanta firefighter Mike Palmeri plans to honor the memory of firefighters, police officers, and civilians lost in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack with a 1,000-mile bike ride from Ellijay, Georgia to New York City to compete in the 2011 World Police and Fire Games.
The World Police & Fire Games are designed to promote sport and fraternity within the police and firefighting communities, and the 2011 Games scheduled for August 26 – September 5, will coincide with the 10-year remembrance of September 11, 2001.
First held in 1985, the Games are now the second largest multi-sport competition in the world, drawing 15,000 competitors from 70 countries, participating in 68 sports.
Palmeri, a resident of Ellijay, is currently a 22-year veteran of the Atlanta Fire Department’s Station 21. Originally from New York City, Palmeri’s father spent nine years as a Ladder Truck Drive in the New York Fire Department. “It’s in my blood,” says Palmeri of following in his father’s footsteps.
The 2011 Games will honor two themes – Remembrance and Gratitude. “I was in the fire station on September 11, and recall that day vividly, watching and praying for everyone,” says Palmeri. “I can only hope that my bike ride to New York City will help to build awareness of the dedication and passion that all emergency responders have to the citizens they serve.”
Palmeri will be competing in the road cycling and mountain biking competitions, along with friends and fellow firefighters, Rodney Deese of Atlanta and Douglas Kerns of Dalton.
Palmeri, owner of Cartecay Bike Shop in downtown Ellijay, has been a leader and advocate in the north Georgia biking scene for a number of years, and was responsible for helping to obtain Gilmer County’s designation as the “Official Mountain Bike Capital of Georgia.”
The planned two-week ride next fall will require the use of customized Carbon Fiber road bikes designed by Palmeri, who began building bikes as a teenager with his father in a backyard wood shed. The three riders plan to coordinate their trip by staying overnight in fire stations along the route. “My previous longest ride was from Ellijay to St. Louis, but this trip beats that one by about three hundred miles,” adds Palmeri.
For more information, or to sponsor Palmeri’s trip or participation in the 2011 World Police & Fire Games, visit www.cartecaybikes.com or email mike@cartecaybikes.com.
Gilmer County, nestled in the Appalachian Mountains just an hour north of Atlanta, is the “Mountain Biking Capital of Georgia.” With more than 150 miles of trails, Gilmer County has a trail for any skill level. For more information, visit www.gilmerchamber.com.








