The Message

Reading the comments of support from others has been very humbling and inspiring. I feel that it is therefore necessary to clarify why I am putting myself through such a mind-numbing, body-numbing task of a 2,000 + mile bike ride in the dead of winter. It's the least I can offer to those who have supported me and encouraged me on my journey.

I had this idea three years ago. I don't recall what inspired it, maybe it was from a show I watched or an article I read. But this idea, this task of biking coast-to-coast became too tantalizing to ignore. A close friend of my mom, Dan Squiller, had a conversation over the phone with me about his trip across the country. His story inspired me, but more importantly it gave a realism to my dream. Dan's accomplishment showed me that this was possible.

I had no real cycling experience, aside from neighborhood riding. I was in fair shape and decided to brand myself as a cyclist to get closer to this dream. I upgraded my bicycles gradually, finally to an entry aluminum road bike I bought in Miami a year ago in January 2014. It was around this time that I began to truly question my motives for the ride. Was there a purpose? Why California? What was with this infatuation with California? Originally it was to escape from Florida, a place I called home 22 years. I wanted to see mountains, see new places, explore parts of this country I would normally just fly over. It was a combination of many personal motives.

And then I thought about charity. Many people ride for charities and causes, right? Cancer, human rights, animal rights, even cannabis rights. Perhaps I could attach a charitable component to this ride. But I needed to have my heart in it. So why not Tourette's Syndrome? I was diagnosed at an early age, and now my sister has TS. It has, whether I were to acknowledge it or not, affected my life to some degree. Bullying in school which stemmed from it, anxiety to conceal my tics during tests and lectures. I had been private about my TS, but I saw this privacy as a waste. A waste of a message of triumph, perseverance and confidence. It was not my goal to be a hero, but rather a messenger. In my quest across this great nation I could leave a trail of dialogue, awareness and encouragement. Dialogue I feel is the most important. For children with TS, I saw this as the most valuable of lessons. I had an extremely difficult time with my TS as a child, and at the very least I hope to offer them this inspiring message of expectation. Expect to achieve more than you can fathom. You are not defined by TS. Your tics are not who you are, and they are not who I am.

I am living my dream. You can too.