Carolyn Streng shed a tear as the kayak she shared with her husband, Steve, came ashore at the finish line of the 36th Eppie's Great Race on Saturday at River Bend Park.

The moment not only marked the end of a 6.35-mile tandem paddle for the Strengs, but also signified the latest step in the couple's miraculous, 14-month recovery from a near-fatal cycling accident.

"I couldn't believe I was experiencing that," Carolyn said. "I just thanked God."

Saturday was her third time in a kayak since the accident, and in an event such as the Great Race, which is widely considered to be about community and the bonds of friendship, her teammates and friends treated Streng like a champion.

Vic Vicari, competing in the 50-plus category, won the Great Race for the second year in a row in a time of 1 hour, 43 minutes, 49 seconds. Nicole Young was the top woman, clocking in at 1:59:33. The Strengs placed third in the tandem kayak division at 1:50:17.

Around 12:30 p.m. Memorial Day 2008, Steve and Carolyn were wrapping up a ride from Volcano to Sutter Creek in Amador County when, less than a mile from the finish, both were struck head-on by a drunken driver talking on a cell phone. Steve escaped with minor injuries, but Carolyn suffered life-threatening injuries, including 20 fractures from head to toe.

The driver of the truck was convicted in Amador County Court and received a 160-day jail sentence.

The couple had been training for – and looking forward to – the Mission 360 charity ride, held each June from Santa Cruz to Malibu. There they would join friends from Horizon Community Church as a precursor to their wedding, which was scheduled for July 12.

Everything was put on hold while Carolyn spent 10 days in intensive and trauma care. Four months and five surgeries later, including one she left for directly after her daughter Danika's wedding, Carolyn was back on her feet with the assistance of a physical therapist.

Then came the big day.

Carolyn's first steps under her own power came on her wedding day – which was pushed back to Sept. 20 – to the surprise and delight of family and friends.

"Everyone was crying," said the Strengs' training buddy, Cathie Simonsen, who came in fourth overall for the fourth time Saturday. "It was such an emotional moment."

Ecstatic, Carolyn danced back down the aisle after exchanging vows with Steve, who was there every arduous step of the way.

By November she was on a tandem bike with Steve, a big deal for the newlyweds, who met and had their first date on a bike ride. Looking at the scars that dot her slight 5-foot-2 frame from right shoulder to ankle, Carolyn became emotional thinking about how far she had come and how much more she wanted to accomplish.

"I was getting so caught up in what I couldn't do," Carolyn said of her recovery period. "But then I cried my tears, and my pity party was over."

This past Memorial Day, the Strengs – along with more than 30 friends – returned to the scene of the crime, where there were still skid marks on the road. From there, Carolyn fulfilled her goal of riding that last mile into town.

The journey is far from over, but after Saturday's race, which benefits Sacramento County Therapeutic Recreation services, a patient who knows quite a bit about both says she has a new way of looking at herself.

"Now, when I look at the scars, I just think of them as a story," she said.

Call The Bee's John Parker, (916) 326-5519.