Caroline Helmkamp

August 23rd, 1943 – October 24th, 2015

The BikeWalkKC family celebrates the life of Caroline Helmkamp. She biked all over the world and was a teacher, mentor, friend, leader, and role model for countless people at home in Kansas City. We are very lucky that some of Caroline’s life and wisdom was recorded and preserved for the future.

Women Bike KC Profile

Caroline was one of the very first people who shared their stories in 2014 for our Women Bike KC project. In this clip she talks about the joys of biking to work.

Read Caroline’s Women Bike KC profile

2015 Senior Sportswoman of the Year – WIN for KC

The Women’s Intersport Network honored Caroline as the Senior Sportswoman of the Year in 2015, in front of a packed ballroom of women and girls recognized for excellence in all types of sports.

I’m a retired educator, but I’m not a retired bicyclist! -Caroline Helmkamp

Teacher

After Caroline retired from teaching in the KC Public Schools, she spent the past few years on our BikeWalkKC Youth Education Team, teaching fifth graders across the city how to bike safely and confidently to school and around their neighborhood.

40 Years of Biking, a Conversation at the KC Women’s Bike Summit

We were incredibly fortunate that Caroline was able to join us in September at the 2nd Annual KC Women’s Bike Summit. She lead a conversation of friends and fellow women cyclists who shared amazing stories of their adventures biking all over the world.

Caroline and George’s Adventures

Caroline and husband George biked all over the world, and she recorded many of their adventures on several blogs. Check them out here and read some amazing stories.

Caroline and George Helmkamp at Family Bicycles, home base
for many of their globe trotting adventures in recent years.

Condolences and memories

Messages for her friends and family can be left at Caroline’s Caring Bridge web site.