Meet the Team: Tess

Name: tess lili Kretschmann
Age: 26
Ride Ataxia Role: cyclist/board of directors
Day Job: civil engineer
Cycling Experience: errands around town (gym, grocery store, haircuts, etc), to work (25 mile round trip) as often as possible, and random scenic weekend and vacation rides (20 - 60 miles) around northern california and long island, ny
Training Plan: as much time on the bike as possible, cross-training with bikram hot yoga, weight-lifting, and swimming. will be jogging, skiing and playing basketball and tennis too - though those always seem hurt, more than help.
Longest ride in one day: 100 miles
Type of Ataxia: N/A

Tess' Story:
Because of a very inspirational young man Kyle Bryant, I am part of the Ride Ataxia team. Kyle is my training buddy, my colleague, a former roommate, my sometime-nemesis, and always friend. He reminds me that too many chocolate-covered raisins will make me sick, that a person never can have too much gum, and really really that life can feel as good as i decide - and why would i want it to be anything but awesome?! I believe in him, and as an athlete with lots of experience in therapeutic recreation (Special Olympics), I believe in adaptive cycling. The research currently being conducted on Ataxia is progressing, and with increased awareness and additional resources, I'm sure greater strides can be made in more effectively and efficiently diagnosing and treating Ataxia. I want to support these efforts - for Kyle, for the other Ataxians I've since met and befriended, and for all the friends and family who believe in them.

Thanks for joining the Ride Ataxia team. You already have just by visiting this site and becoming informed. I appreciate your support.

Meet The Team: Kyle

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…

Participant Information

Finally, we've got the information you have all been waiting for! Check out these two pdf's:

Cyclist Information

Cyclist Application

The application and deposit is due January 15, so check it out and send it in. We can't wait to hear from you!