PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. \u2013 Ponte Vedra cyclist Patrick McGarry is training for a cross-country journey in 2026 to honor his sister and support the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.<\/p>\n
McGarry will ride from San Diego to St. Augustine over 44 days between March 7 and April 20 with five days off, joining a group of 12 riders for the trip.<\/p>\n
He has been training intensely, averaging about 60 miles a day on his bike and sometimes doing more on a stationary bike.<\/p>\n
Inside McGarry\u2019s home, an American flag displays the names of 9\/11 victims, with his sister Katherine (Katie) McGarry\u2019s name underlined.<\/p>\n
Katie was at the Windows on the World restaurant on the top floor of the North Tower when the plane hit on Sept. 11, 2001.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe got into the restaurant about less than 10 minutes before the plane hit,\u201d McGarry said. \u201cI was watching all of this on TV, and it was like a bad dream coming back for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Katherine (Katie) McGarry (Photo provided by Patrick McGarry)<\/p>\n
That bad dream was a reality back in 1993, when McGarry was working on the 95th floor of the South Tower during the World Trade Center Bombing.<\/p>\n
He lost not only his sister in 9\/11 but also many friends from Wall Street. Altogether, he knew over 45 people who died that day.<\/p>\n
McGarry said the number of funerals became overwhelming, forcing him to stop attending.<\/p>\n
Katie is remembered as vivacious and full of life, and McGarry keeps her memory alive through photos, his license plate, and this upcoming ride.<\/p>\n
His goal for the \u201cRide to Remember\u201d is to raise $100,000 for Tunnel to Towers, which supports first responders and military heroes.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a wound there that will never heal, and I\u2019m OK with that,\u201d McGarry said. \u201cI\u2019ve learned that within grief, there\u2019s a superpower, and I\u2019m going to tap into that grief to get this ride done.\u201d<\/p>\n