Some of the story can be told through numbers: 4,005 miles, 67 days, two wheels, one man pedaling across America at 12 mph on a bike. Sure, David Shuey is a biking fanatic who often rides “centuries” – 100-mile treks – on weekends. Still, it’s an ambitious itinerary, especially for a 59-year-old who has osteoarthritis (OA) and spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the spinal canal. But the greater ambition is his goal of raising $500,000 for arthritis research.
This cross-country quest is in honor of David’s mother, Marcie Shuey, who struggled with arthritis for years. She was his age when her condition began to dramatically worsen. She had a hip replacement, followed by six spinal fusions. “Her hip literally dissolved,” David says. “Her spine started doing the same thing. There’s a misconception that having spinal stenosis and arthritis isn’t serious, and it is.”
Arthritis has been a constant for much of David’s adult life, too. Once an avid runner, he had to stop at the age of 31 because of cartilage damage in both knees. By his early 50s, he had arthritis in his back and neck.
By then, arthritis was already his cause. He had seen what the disease had done to his mother, so he got involved in the Arthritis Foundation. Today, he is in his third year on the national board and is chairman of its fundraising committee.
David plans to start on June 4 in Seattle and travel about 60 miles a day. He’s scheduled to finish the 4,005-mile journey in Cape May, N.J., on Aug. 9 – his 60th birthday. “I did that intentionally,” he says. “A lot of people who are 60 don’t think they can ride a bike across America.”
David, who lives in West Chester, Pa., says biking has helped keep arthritis from ruling his life. “I have good days and bad days,” he says. “I take a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory twice a day. When I don’t take it, I know it immediately. I get pain in my back, neck and knees. But as long as I stay active and take my medication, it’s manageable.”
He is certainly staying active. “The only way to train for a bike ride like this is riding,” says David, so lately he’s been doing a lot of it.
Now David is working to secure corporate sponsors to help him reach his $500,000 goal. He’s also depending on people to make donations. “All I need are 500 friends with a thousand dollars each,” he quips.
