A Boston 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. The death of his friend, who was also named Jay, inspired Weedall to honor his memory by riding his bike across the country. His goal is to raise $50,000 for the Young Onset Colorectal Cancer Research Center in honor of the friend he lost to the disease.
To prepare, Weedall trained 200 to 300 miles a week, mapped out his route, and planned for the long journey ahead. Weedall began his journey in Key West, pedaling 155 miles to Miami on day one. He set off on his second leg a 163-mile ride to Vero Beach.
Weedall is riding roughly 150 miles a day along the coast through nearly every state all the way to the Pan Mass Challenge. He will do the Pan Mass Challenge across Massachusetts on August 2 and continue to the Canadian border in Maine.
By avoiding highways, Weedall says the route offers something unexpected, allowing him to experience little coastal towns along those inlets. When riding hundreds of miles alone, Weedall says he has plenty of time to think. He said that even when his legs are hurting, even when the traffic is big or even when he is a little anxious about what is going on around him, he is largely just thinking about his friend who does not get the opportunity to do this with him anymore. Fans can follow Weedall's journey on the cycling app Strava.