Why We Ride: Terina & Frank
Terina and Frank met at a fundraiser. They connected through community. And together, they found their way to Tour de Pier.
Terina works for Triumph Foundation, a nonprofit serving individuals with spinal cord injuries and various forms of paralysis. Outreach, hospital visits, adaptive recreation, inclusion isn’t just part of her job. It’s part of who she is. Terina has been in a wheelchair since she was eight years old. “I’ve always been active,” she says. “If you make it adaptive and inclusive, I’ll be there.”
In 2018, a fellow wheelchair user told Terina about the adaptive team at Tour de Pier. She was all in. That first morning on the Manhattan Beach Pier was unforgettable. Hundreds of riders. Dozens of bikes. A sea of people who had woken up early to show up for something bigger than themselves.
Frank lives nearby but hadn’t heard of Tour de Pier – yet. Frank is not a morning person, but when he came to Tour de Pier for the first time he said, “there were so many people. It was, wow! These people got up early for this.”
For Terina, being part of Tour de Pier means more than just riding. “It really means a lot to be in the community and have an adaptive side of it.” Soon after, she was asked to lead the adaptive team and changed the team’s name to We All Ride. Drawing from the spinal cord injury and wheelchair community, Terina began recruiting adaptive athletes to join. The first year, they had two hand cycles and one able-bodied bike.
In 2025, Team We All Ride had 20 riders across four bikes, two adaptive hand cycles and two able-bodied bikes. They’re always looking for more adaptive athletes to join. Tour de Pier is about making sure everyone who wants to ride, can.
For Terina and Frank, the reason to ride is also deeply personal.
Cancer has touched their family in profound ways. Both of Frank’s grandmothers passed away from cancer. His mother was treated for colon cancer. And in 2020, his father was diagnosed with early-onset pancreatic cancer. He underwent a Whipple procedure. He endured chemotherapy. “The fact that he was diagnosed in 2020 and is still here with us is truly a miracle,” Terina shares. “We’re very blessed.”
Frank’s dad doesn’t just support from afar. He donates the moment fundraising pages go live. He watches the leaderboard. He proudly shows up on event day — usually standing a little too close while Frank is riding.
“He wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Terina says. “He feels like all those people are there to support him.” They ride for Joe. And Joe is one of their biggest supporters every year. After the ride he takes the whole team out for lunch to celebrate and thank them, for riding, for fundraising, for working towards a cure together.
“I ride for my dad,” Frank says. “I talk to him every day. He’s one of my best friends. He’s my hero.”
For Terina, the reason to ride is beautifully simple. “I ride Tour de Pier because I can.”
Community events aren’t always accessible. Participation isn’t always guaranteed. But at Tour de Pier, inclusion is intentional. Adaptive equipment is secured. Teams rally together. Barriers are removed. And that makes all the difference. So, they ride.
For accessibility.
For family.
For survivors.
For the miracle of still being here.
At Tour de Pier, we all ride.