When I first wrote about Thomas Beasley in 2005, the cyclist was in the midst of his 53rd cross-country bicycle tour and said it might be his last.
Two years later and Beasley is still bicycling. And he's still saying it's his last tour. We'll see.
The 39-year-old is riding to raise money for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. So far he has raised $108,715 and logged more than 197,000 miles.
A reporter for the Lewiston (PA) Sentinel talked with Beasley as he stopped in town recently and, of course, asked why he has spent so much of his life since 1991 riding his bicycle.
“I do it because of the difference I am making … people are proud because I am helping with the cure. … God gives everyone one special gift . . . I can ride everyday, without getting sore or stretching. I make a difference and that’s all I am trying to do.”
The former racer started his trek when his cycling coach and friend John Toodle died from complications of the disease.
These days he riding a Gary Fisher bike and pulls a Burley Designs trailer (both donated) loaded with 140 pounds of stuff. He collects donations — and often food and lodging — from local businesses.
He started this year's ride in March and has covered 4,000 miles so far. He hopes to top the 200,000-mile mark by the time he returns home in December.
Interviewed earlier this year in the Florida Alligator, Beasley said he's writing a book about his experiences. The title: “The Most Famous Bicycle Rider Nobody Knows.”
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