OKLAHOMA CITY –
At 15 years old Chip Minty discovered his passion and his place of peace riding his bike, but a few years ago he found his purpose in riding his bike.
“I’ve raced and then I’ve done triathlons,” said Bike rider Chip Minty.
Minty has always been drawn to any challenge involving long distance riding.
“I rode 400 miles in 24 hours in 1987,” said Minty.
But there is one ride that has always been on his radar.
“This TansAmerica trail, I’ve always wanted to ride. You know it was established in 1976, to commemorate the bicentennial, and I was 15 and I dreamed of doing this ride,” said Minty.
But then Minty got some news that may have ended his riding indefinitely.
“I was diagnosed in 2005 with MS,” said Minty.
Multiple sclerosis, a chronic autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system. And while it did sideline him for a while, it wasn’t enough to keep him from riding forever.
“Very fortunate in the medicine that I’m taking is so improved over what I was taking when I was first diagnosed. It’s amazing the progress we’re making with MS,” said Minty.
And Minty will finally get to make that TransAmerica ride with a greater purpose, through the bike the US for MS ride.
“I thought, well that must be a God thing because I have MS,” said Minty.
About 40 bikers will start on June 14th in Yorktown Virginia and we’ll finish up in San Francisco, sixty-five days later.
“That will be about 3,800 miles, distance. We’ll average about 65 miles a day,” said Minty.
The ride will raise awareness and money for MS.
“As a group, we’re approaching four hundred thousand dollars that we’re raising for research and for patient services,” said Minty.
Minty has already raised around sixteen thousand dollars on his own, and he actually the only rider on the ride diagnosed with MS.
“You can persevere through MS, and you can be active, and cycling is the perfect exercise for people with MS,” said Minty.
You can support Minty’s Ride the US for MS, by visiting the official site here.