Their profound commitment to the mission to end cancer has seen Tammy and Jay through many challenges on their journey. The road to starting this ride was laden with injuries and health concerns that delayed their start date. Tammy originally intended to ride with Jay, but when her hands started getting numb — a result of an old injury — they decided to backtrack to Portland to find and buy a car that would become their SAG vehicle.
They finally restarted their journey on May 17 with a commitment for Jay to ride an average of 52 miles a day for 53 days straight. Their route has taken them through Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, on a four-hour ferry ride over Lake Michigan, along the St. Clair River, and finally — along the northern edge of Lake Erie. Their final day will take them across the Peace Bridge and into Kaminski Park at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Some days, Jay has ridden more. Some days, he has ridden less. But every day is different. His first nine days saw unrelenting rainstorms. Partway through, he faced intense headwinds and steep climbs. He completed a century ride (plus 13 bonus miles), and scaled back mileage toward the end of the route. Through it all, he’s only taken one day off.