For 45 years, Phillip Hicks has built a career at Kentucky Power working through difficult terrain and all kinds of weather as a distribution line crew supervisor. Now, at 65 years old, he is preparing for one of the world’s toughest bike races after surviving a devastating hit-and-run accident.
Phillip Hicks, of Hazard, Kentucky Power Line Crew Supervisor
In September 2024, Hicks was struck by a hit-and-run driver while riding his bicycle and was left for dead on the side of the road.
The injuries were severe. He suffered a broken collarbone, broken tailbone, twisted ankle, concussion and severe bruising throughout his body and kidney area. He also experienced post-traumatic stress disorder following the accident. He could not walk for a week and was off work for five weeks, using a wheelchair during part of his recovery.
But in the days following the accident, he made a decision to push forward.
“A couple days after the accident, I decided to push myself to recover and set my heart to do the Tour Divide,” he said.
That determination quickly became the foundation of his recovery. Just eight weeks after the accident, he got back on a bicycle. Today, he regularly rides 30 to 40 miles a few times a week and has previously completed 100-mile rides through mountainous and all-terrain conditions.
The Tour Divide is considered one of the world’s toughest off-road bicycle races. Covering approximately 2,745 miles with more than 158,000 feet of climbing, the route follows the spine of the Rocky Mountains from Banff, Alberta, Canada, to the New Mexico-Mexico border. Nearly 90% of the course is off-road, and riders must complete the race entirely self-supported.
He will begin the race June 12 and hopes to finish within 22 to 27 days.
Hicks with the bicycle he plans to ride in the Tour Divide.
His goal is to average nearly 100 miles per day while camping along the route and carrying a water filtration bottle to safely drink from streams. He will restock supplies in towns along the way. To maintain energy during the ride, he expects he will need to consume between 6,000 and 10,000 calories each day.
Participants wear satellite trackers throughout the race, allowing family, friends and cycling enthusiasts to follow their progress in real time. He also plans to capture the experience using Action360 cameras and a small drone throughout the journey.
“My job has helped prepare me by working in all kinds of weather, terrain and hours,” he said.
Even after 45 years with the company, he still climbs poles and believes in leading by example alongside his crew.
“I’ve got a great crew, and I’m proud of them. They’re really hard workers,” he said. “I’ve always tried to maintain the ability to climb poles right along with them if needed.”
For him, cycling represents more than exercise. It is a reflection of perseverance and a message he has long shared with his family.
“I always taught my kids that it’s okay to play hard if you work hard,” he said.
He and his wife have 7 children and 10 grandchildren, with another grandchild expected in July shortly after his anticipated return home from the Tour Divide.
Despite the challenges he has faced, he is clear that he will not let someone else’s actions take away something he enjoys.
“I don’t want someone else’s mistake to stop me from my passion,” he said.
Anyone interested in following his journey during the Tour Divide can track his progress as he makes his way across the Rocky Mountains by visiting TrackLeaders.com.