May Street Rollers pedal their way to health and stress relief

April 14, 2015

Some members of UNT Health’s May Street business office take a noon-time break from billing cycles to do cycling of a different sort as they pedal their way to health and stress relief.

The May Street Rollers, 11 members strong, bicycle through Fort Worth’s medical district, along Magnolia Avenue and around downtown Fort Worth, led by Dave Baker, Business Systems Analysis Manager.

“These teammates work their butts off,” Baker said. “They often work on snow days, holidays and during the winter break. They are tireless and fearless. They help make sure UNT Health gets millions of dollars in revenue every year. If I can help them by teaching them to ride better, I am happy to do that.”

Baker is an experienced cyclist and veteran of the UNT Health’s Angels team that rides the MS150 each year to raise money for the Multiple Sclerosis Society. He teaches cardiovascular conditioning, along with the basics of how to ride and how to be as aerodynamic as possible.

In addition to improving health, the bike rides help the team – which is responsible for processing almost 50,000 insurance claims per month and ensuring all charges are correct – get some relief from stress and sitting all day.

Baker said the lessons extend beyond the bicycle. Biking can be a “misery” sport, he said, requiring riders to top steep hills and push themselves past normal comfort levels.

“It’s easy to get off your bike and walk up that hill,” he said. “I tell the team that even if you pedal just once an hour, you will finally get up that hill and learn to deal with the misery – and that helps you deal with life, too. Learning to work through uncomfortable situations and challenges is sometimes the difference between success and failure.”

What does Baker get out of it? The satisfaction that comes from knowing he’s serving others first, one of the values that guide UNT Health Science Center.

“I’m like a proud parent,” he said. “Seeing them climb a challenging hill and get excited about it is awesome to be a part of.”