A Massachusetts cyclist is turning heartbreak into hope after losing a close friend to young-onset colorectal cancer.
Jay Weedall traveled to South Florida to begin a 2,600-mile bike ride from Key West to Maine, with a goal of raising $50,000 for research while honoring his friend's memory.
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"A friend of mine recently passed away from young-onset rectal cancer," Weedall said.
His friend, who was also named Jay, inspired Weedall to take on the cross-country ride as a tribute.
"I've adventured around the world with him, ridden bikes together with him, and this felt like the best way to honor him now that he's passed away," he said.
Weedall's goal is to raise $50,000 for the young-onset colorectal cancer research center in honor of his friend. To prepare, he trained 200 to 300 miles a week, mapped out his route, and planned the 2,600-mile journey from Key West to Lubec, Maine.
"So, there was a lot of preplanning to make sure that the roads that I'm going to go on are safe and have been ridden on by cyclists and let's hope that the wind is kind to me," he said.
Weedall began his journey in Key West, pedaling 155 miles to Miami on the first day. He picked up a key lesson along the way.
"Something I learned after day one is hydration packs, good for hydration obviously, but if you fill it up with ice it's good for keeping you cold as well," he said.
On his second leg — a 163-mile ride to Vero Beach — Weedall described his daily strategy for managing the miles.
"Ideally, I try to beat the heat and then I'm going roughly 150 miles a day, just inching my way up the coast through pretty much every state all the way to the Pan Mass Challenge. Then I'll do the Pan Mass Challenge across Massachusetts on August 2nd. I'll continue to the Canadian border in Maine," he said.
Even through the physical demands of riding hundreds of miles alone, Weedall says his thoughts stay with his friend.
"Even when my legs are hurting, even when the traffic is big or even when I'm a little anxious about what's going on around me, but I'm largely just thinking about my friend who doesn't get the opportunity to do this with me anymore," he said.
The route takes Weedall through small coastal towns along the way.
"By avoiding highways, I get to experience these little coastal towns along those inlets," he said.
Those who want to follow Weedall's journey can track his progress on the cycling app Strava.
