We're Linda and Andy Johnson, from Cazenovia, New York. What began as a blog about a bike ride has become a story about our ride through life, trying to overcome a disease that has had a huge impact on us and on many of our friends.
Our journey began in 2007, when Kyle Bryant originated the idea of
Ride Ataxia - riding his three-wheeled cycle from San Diego to the annual National Ataxia Foundation meeting in Memphis. It took two months to get there, and in the process he raised $40,000 to fund Ataxia research and he raised awareness of the disease like no one has before. Well he rode to the annual meeting again in 2008 and
we joined him! We left from Sacramento and arrived in Las Vegas two weeks and 650 miles later.
You see Linda also has Friedreich's Ataxia. This inherited disease causes the nerves of the body to deteriorate. Linda (and Kyle) can still walk at this point, but it's getting much more difficult. In addition, speech gets slurred, finger dexterity suffers, and other serious complications can develop as time goes on.
The good thing is that research is more promising than ever! Several drugs are going through trials at this time, with other significant research taking place as you read this. There has never been a better time to contribute to this research! Let's cure this disease - for Linda, for the rest of the Ride Ataxia team, and for all of the others afflicted with this disease!
Enjoy our blog! Feel free to
write to us any time. Check out the links in the right column below to read more about the disease and our adventures. And if nothing else, be sure to take the seven minutes to watch
FARA's video - we couldn't say it better ourselves.
50 miles later, 6 hours, a bit of windburn, and we were relaxing in front of our motel!
The Boron motel ... words cannot describe ...
5 comments:
Sorry to hear that the wind was in your face. Need plenty of sun block and lip balm...
Looks like a real up beat Motel.
Rooad kill seems to be slowing down, less truckers??
Your pictures are all great and you are so impressive, steel legs.
School day after to-morrow, thank God...
Not really, had a fun game with Kelly this am.
Love you guys,
Mom and Dad J
Cool motel. Don't see that kind any more. Mmmmmm. I know it's great going downhill, but just like when we hiked, we always had to go up again to reach the top!!!!You are doing great. Love you all. Mom and Dad S
Hey Linda and Andy
Miss you all! You're doing great and you're almost there! We're thinking of you back here in Martinez, CA. Keep up the great riding!
Angela
Those winds should be at your back today. Enjoy the ride!
Al M
That was that we(ANDY) adjusted the clip -on peddels!
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