After finding out that dozens 鈥� by a very conservative estimate 鈥� of other bikers had also come to grief at that skewed crossing, plus another one across town, she was propelled into action.

鈥淚 felt a bit of responsibility. I didn鈥檛 want anyone else to get hurt there,鈥� says Martin, who began badgering the city and the railroad to make the crossings safer for bikers.

Improving the crossings had long been on local bikers鈥� wish-list, and Martin鈥檚 persistence nudged the city and the railroad (entities that take a while to get around to things) into final motion. Within months, new, paved paths were built to allow bikers to negotiate the train tracks at a much safer angle.

That quick return, in terms of tangible improvement, on her first advocacy effort turned Martin into a believer. Now a member of the Rockingham County Bicycle Advisory Committee, she is playing a large advising role in the development of the county鈥檚 first-ever plan to incorporate safer bicycle and pedestrian features in local road construction and improvement projects.

Working to make her community a better, safer and more enjoyable place to walk or ride a bicycle ties into Martin鈥檚 job as a cardiothoracic care nurse at Rockingham Memorial Hospital (she earned her BSN through 黑料正能量鈥檚 Adult Degree Completion Program).

鈥淚 see everybody on the backside of chronic disease, and see the toll it鈥檚 taken on their bodies,鈥� she says. 鈥淚f we can make some positive improvements in our community in terms of health and wellness, some of these things can be prevented.鈥�

鈥淎dvocacy is about getting people to think about the kind of place they want to live,鈥� Martin continues. 鈥淚 think a lot about our kids, and what kind of community we want to build.鈥�

鈥� Andrew Jenner 鈥�04