For many, cycling is a hobby, an enjoyable pastime, a way to stay in shape, or perhaps even their competitive sport of choice. For 66-year-old Gales Ferry resident John Clark, cycling is so much more.
For the past 10 years Clark has been embarking on biking excursions all across the United States, all in the name of Alzheimer’s awareness. He has followed the Mississippi River 1,750 miles from Minneapolis, Minn., to New Orleans, La., traveled down the scenic West Coast 1,450 miles from Portland, Ore., to Los Angeles, Calif., and has even biked clear across the northern U.S., traveling 1,900 miles from Astoria, Ore., to Niagara Falls, N.Y. While his ride in 2008 may not have been as epic—a mere 670-mile adventure from Portsmouth, N.H., to Washington, D.C.—it was still historic, because his route took him through his home state of Connecticut for the first time.
“It was exhilarating, and it was such a warm feeling,” Clark said of being welcomed into Connecticut by members of the Alzheimer’s Association of Connecticut (AACT) followed by a brief interview aired on NBC30 (WVIT). “That the media was there was fantastic and really gave great exposure to the association…that was huge.”
In the past 10 years Clark’s “Ride For Alzheimer’s” has seen him travel a grand total of more than 14,000 miles, crisscrossing the United States, and raising more than $150,000 for the AACT. And while this year’s ride marked his first time traveling through Connecticut, Clark said it was also his toughest ride ever.
“The ride, overall, I trained quit strenuously to prepare for it, expecting that I was going to hit some shorter, steeper climbs than I’ve had out West in the Rockies,” Clark said. “Out there the climbs are anywhere from 4 to 8 percent, but they range between 10, 15 miles long. Out here, these climbs, a lot of them are around 6 to 8 percent, but some of them are up to 16 to 18 percent…and sometimes around a quarter mile long, so I refer to them as ‘killer hills’ and that’s what made it, in my opinion, the most difficult ride I’ve ever done.”
Clark began his Ride for Alzheimer’s in 1999, six years after his mother, Ruth, had been diagnosed with the disease. Already an avid cyclist, Clark combined his favorite sport and his newfound activism and has been pedaling for a purpose ever since.
“It dawned on me that I could ride in the name of Alzheimer’s awareness and raise money for the Alzheimer’s Association of Connecticut,” Clark explained. “It just made perfect sense.”
Even after his mother passed away in 2003, Clark still felt the need to continue raising both awareness and funds for the AACT. And now, having brought his ride full circle all the way back to Connecticut, Clark said this year’s ride was very satisfying just knowing how many people he was able to reach through his travels and the media.
“It was a combination of things [that made this year’s ride special]; it was the greeting in Connecticut, and it was the thrill of riding into D.C.,” Clark explained. “I’d never been there, so to see some of the national treasures we have there was fantastic.
“The overall feeling that I get on these rides is that I feel good about spreading awareness about Alzheimer’s and raising the funds that I do,” he added. “This is my 10th year, and I haven’t lost any enthusiasm yet.”
After the most meaningful yet most difficult ride of his life, what is Clark going to do next? Come out of retirement of course.
Clark retired in 2003 after teaching at the Ledyard Middle School for three decades, but recently decided to once again brave the *** hallways, part time.
“I’m going to be a remedial math tutor for the middle school here in Ledyard,” Clark said. “I taught at that school for 31 years, seventh-grade math, and now I have the opportunity to go back and I’m very much looking forward to it. Helping kids who have difficulty with mathematics is the nature of my job as a remedial math tutor. It’s very, very hard for a classroom teacher to be able to give every student the help they need and still stay on target, and now I’m not a teacher anymore—I’m a tutor so I’ll be able to be one-on-one with the kids and help them with their needs. That’s the real reason I’m going back, not because I have to, but because I want to.”
While his days may once again be filled with algebraic equations, Clark said there is no doubt that he will continue his Ride for Alzheimer’s and has already picked out his courses for the next two years. In 2009 he intends to bike through the Appalachian Mountains, and in 2010 he will finish off his East Coast ride, biking from Washington, D.C., to Jacksonville, Fla.
“I continue to do this, because as time goes by I continue to see more and more people, families, spouses having to deal with the Alzheimer’s disease, and I think of my mom,” Clark said. “And thinking of my sister as my mother’s caregiver and how much time and energy she gave—it’s just really, really tough.
“When I’m feeling kind of overwhelmed or down or tired from riding, I just remind myself of all those people and the reason why I’m doing this, and it just motivates me to keep pushing forward,” Clark added.
Clark said he has also given much thought to organizing a group Ride for Alzheimer’s in Connecticut but hasn’t made any concrete plans, mainly due to the overwhelming amount of support and volunteerism that he’d need to drum up to make it happen.
“It’s an absolutely huge undertaking. It’s sort of a dream of mine and something that I haven’t dismissed, but I certainly can’t put together by myself the amount of support and staff that would be needed. To coordinate something like this is just huge.”
Whether a Connecticut ride ever comes to fruition remains to be seen, but Clark said one thing is certain: As long as he can keep pushing his pedals, he’ll continue his ride.
For more information about John Clark’s Ride for Alzheimer’s, contact Clark via his Web site, www.RideForAlzheimers.com, or send inquiries/donations to John Clark, P.O. Box 574, Gales Ferry, CT 06335.