one of my teammates was attacked on the valley forge trail

here's what happened:

Here's a message from a fellow Sturdy Girl who had a rather frightening encounter on our local bike path. So SCARY, we all train on this path!

"Tonight I was out on the trail, by myself, coming back from Phoenixville. At around 7:30 pm I was cruising through Norristown & as I approached the area where the basketball courts are, I notice 6 or 7 guys all wearing red t-shirts & black jeans hanging out on the side of the trail. They were looking conspicuously nonchalant & by the time I realized something was wrong, it was too late to turn around & get up enough speed in the other direction.

I decided that no matter what, they weren't getting me off of my bike so I hammered as fast as I could. As I approached they spread out across the trail. No one else was in sight. I was going 22 mph when I went between 2 of the guys and the one to my right who had his back to me swung around & punched me in the face. It is with extreme gratitude to the universe that I can say that with blood streaming down my face & amazing pain, I was able to stay on my bike & not even slow down until I got to the train station where I called 911. Police came. Medics cleaned up my face & I rode home.

I can't even think about what would have happened if they had gotten me off my bike. People have always cautioned about being on that trail, alone, on off hours & though my hard head may have saved me tonight, I get that I should have paid more attention. Hopefully it can serve as a cautionary tale to others."