Over the years, I’ve watched a lot of people I care about deal with different diseases as we’ve all gotten older — some with Parkinson’s, others with various neurological disorders. I’ve always been someone who loves staying active — honestly, some people would probably call it hyperactive (and they wouldn’t be wrong… more on that another time). So nothing hits me harder than seeing a disease slowly take away someone’s ability to live life the way they want to.

Meeting Steve Squires has been incredibly inspiring. He — along with others on this ride — is living proof of what an active lifestyle can mean for someone with PD. It really reinforces why movement and staying engaged matter so much.

As for my so-called hyperactive life, it’s included competing in the World Ironman Championships in ’95, the Sky Marathon World Championships in ’98, multiple Snowshoe National Championships, and the National Triathlon Championships. I’ve also held seven WUCA and Guinness World Records for speed and distance on a recumbent trike, and was a 25K Run National Age Group winner. And that’s just part of the story.

I’ve been lucky to spend most of my career working in the outdoor industry — from my wife and me owning bike shops, to managing in the bike manufacturing world, and now working with WizWheelz, owner of TerraTrike and Greenspeed, two of the most respected recumbent brands out there. It’s been a pretty amazing ride so far.