Dr. Michele Grossman (center) and teammates get ready to ride from Horseneck Beach in Westport.

She and her family moved to Mattapoisett last July, adjusting to life in a new area and to new jobs—Michele as an emergency room physician at Tobey Hospital in Wareham; her husband Dr. Michael Grossman as chief of trauma surgery for the developing Level II Trauma Center at St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford.

While the coronavirus pandemic has added a new level of stress, Dr. Grossman said that she and her husband continue to make time to get outside for exercise and recreation.

“We are really looking forward to this year’s Watershed Ride,” she said. With the need to continue social distancing, cycling and other outdoor activities hold more appeal than ever, she added. “We’ve always been active in outdoor events, but cycling and other activities like this are becoming super popular because these are things that you can do safely while social distancing.”

By “we,” Dr. Grossman means her husband, who also participated, and a whole group of colleagues from Southcoast Health who formed the “SouthCoasters” cycling team. The couple was recruited to join shortly after moving to the area. “We had eight people on the team last year, and we are hoping to have ten or twelve riders this year.

The fun of participating in the Ride began well before the actual event, she said. “First of all, we enjoyed doing our training together as a team once a week. It helps everyone to stay motivated for exercise and fitness when you have company for those longer rides.”

Dr. Grossman also appreciates the fact that the funds raised through the Ride help to protect the Bay and the watershed. “We go to the beach all the time with our kids, and we’re avid paddleboarders, too. Being out on the water all the time, we are super interested in keeping the water clean, so the mission of the Coalition is one that we’re happy to support.”

The fact that the cycling route follows the coastline makes it all the better. “The ride is so beautiful,” Dr. Grossman said. “The course is spectacular. Last year we did the 75-mile route; this year we’re going to do the 100-mile option. We found the whole event very well organized.”

Asked about her favorite part of the event, Dr Grossman said, “I particularly liked the last part of the ride, through Bourne and Falmouth to Woods Hole. The rolling hills in that area were fun and the shade was great. Being new to the South Coast, I had never seen that part of the Cape. I thought it was just beautiful, and it was uncharted territory for me.”