Name: Kyle Bryant
Age: 26
Ride Ataxia Role: Cyclist/Founder
Day Job: Civil Engineer
Cycling Experience: 2,400 miles during Ride Ataxia I, To work and back (25 mile round trip) two to three times a week weather permitting
Longest ride in one day: 100 miles
Type of Ataxia: Friedreich’s
Kyle's Story:
Kyle was diagnosed with FA when he was about 17 years old. It was loss of coordination in sports, specifically baseball that led him and his family to seek a diagnosis. From the first doctor’s visit, it took almost a year to find an answer.
Kyle started cycling when it became a pain in the butt to balance on an upright bike. So he searched the world over to find a vehicle that would get him from here to there without the headache. The answer was not far away. Chico, CA is where Kyle found his trike at a place called Peregrine Bike Works. The owner, Hugh Kern hooked Kyle up with a pimp ride.
Kyle began to cycle on the weekends 5 to 10 miles at a time. He was amazed when he reached 25 miles in a day and started cycling to and from work. Then he participated in the Tour De Cure a fundraising event for the American Diabetes Association. 100 miles was his goal. The ride took 9.5 hours from start to finish and he was the last one on the course but HE FINISHED!
With a century on his cycling resume and determination in his heart, Ride Ataxia was born!
With the strong support of friends and family, a year of planning was played out in 60 days when he and his Dad rode 2400 miles from San Diego to Memphis ending at the National Ataxia Foundation annual membership meeting. However, the success did not stop there. Kyle worked with the National Ataxia Foundation and the Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance to establish the $100,000 Kyle Bryant Translational Research Award which was awarded to a research team led by Dr. Nuri Gueven at Queensland Institute of Medical Research in Australia. The research team is making progress and the outlook is promising.
The story is not over…please stay tuned as Kyle and his teammates cross more milestones on their way to VEGAS during Ride Ataxia II. The trail to a cure continues…
4 comments:
Nicely done Kyle - do you think the bike/recumbet trike store would be a vendor at NAF? I've been working on the store I got my trike at, but he's in IN., kind of a long haul thid year and nexted!
Kyle i am one of the kids from Pleasant Ridge School when you came you where amasing i feel really sad for you you are a really nice guy you said so much about how your life is and i under stand how you feel and it is really sad that you can not stay up strate but when you get back you will be so happy because Pleasant Ridge School is stil helping you so i hope you have fun!!!!!
sorry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kyle, Your Mom shared your story with us and my Mom helped me go online to read about your ride. Congratulations, you are a strong man! I'm in kindergarten and really look up to you for your courage and strength. I'm going to help raise money with you next year!
Brock
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