Programming Chair Darryl
Downs introduced…
.TODAY’S PROGRAM....
Chris Figureida
info@cycleforheart.org / www.cycleforheart.org
http://www.123people.com/s/chris+figureida
805-665-8796
The Cycle For Heart and RI’s Polio Plus Programs
Odyssey of the Heart
MOTTO:
·
Know who you are
·
Know who you want to
be
·
Live your dream
Chris Figureida is not your average 28-year-old welder of
specialty magic tricks. In April of 2007, he rode a bicycle across America
to raise kids’ awareness about heart disease. Cycle for Heart was
so successful that he did it again last September. On March 22, 2009, he
started his 4th cross country ride.
Chris is a dedicated volunteer for the American Heart
Association and uses his physical prowess to help kids make healthy
lifestyle choices. During his cross-country bicycle treks, he visited
schools, elected officials, and government offices in 29 states from
California to Maine; speaking about healthy and active lifestyles and
explaining why physical activity is important.
This last Cycle for Heart crossed the country in a different
direction -- from Key West, Florida to Quebec, Canada. Who better to
bicycle across America touting an active lifestyle than a would-be Indiana
Jones whose passport stamps exceed his age?
Physical activity is something that was
always part of Chris’ life growing up in Ventura, California. The
28-year-old’s adventuresome spirit has led him to distant places – riding
elephants in Thailand; hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Pichu, Peru; climbing
Mt. Kilimanjaro; and riding his bicycle 1,800 miles from Canada to Mexico
in 21 days.
“I am very fortunate that healthy habits are something I grew
up with,” Chris says, “I know that’s not the case for many kids.”
He decided to put his good health to work educating others
about healthy lifestyle choices.
Chris notes, “It seemed like
a bike trek would be a good way to draw attention to the importance of
physical activity in reversing the trend of childhood obesity.” He went to
work putting together the inaugural Cycle
for Heart, which was a two-month long,
3,746-mile trip from Ventura, California to Lubec, Maine. He secured
sponsors and mapped out visits to schools, state capitals, and city halls
along the way. In addition to promoting the American Heart Association,
which seeks to build healthier lives free of cardiovascular diseases and
stroke, Cycle for Heart seeks to promote Rotary International and the Polio
Plus Program. During his next ride to Quebec, and on top of his meeting
with schools and state officials, Chris will be speaking to Rotary Clubs
across the nation to raise funds for the fight against polio.
To make a tax-deductible donation and find out more about
Chris and
Cycle for Heart, please visit www.cycleforheart.org
A portion is donated
to Polio Plus and American Heart
Association
His tent covers bike and him when he travels.
Facts:
Ventura, CA to Maine in
64 days
From WA to Key West, FL in 260 days
Trips average 86 miles
per day
Ventua – Lubec 2007 give presentations at schools.
Route 66 in disrepair so every nut and bolt was vibrated
loose.
I40 you’re allow 800 miles to ride as long as no other route
exists.
Tallest climb: 7,335
feet up with 75 lbs of equipment
Scariest episodes:
·
Tornado alley forced
to seek shelter.
·
Greensburg, KS =-205
mph Cat 2 tornado.
·
Lip busted wide open
by hail storm
·
Crossing Mississippi
River with semi-trailers and no space on the edge of the road.
·
Levy broke and
pedaling in flood waters with fish swimming.
·
Felt wetter than
swimmihng in the ocean.
·
Lighting would strike
4-500 yards around me.
·
Shrapnel like bark
hits like grenades when you pass a lumber truck
·
Dogs love to chase me
– one little one ran ½ mile at 17 mph
·
Ice froze to bicycle
and to his clothing
·
Skin was falling off
his chaffed hands from humidity and pressure.
·
GPS doesn’t
distinguish between paved and dirt road
·
Critters found on
bicycles – banana spiders and lizards
Sites:
·
45th parallel sign – ½ between equator
and N. Pole
·
Colummia Gorge has 77
beautiful water falls on Oregon side
·
Lubec famous
lighthouse eastern most city in the US
·
PA is the hilliest
route ever bicycled.
·
Promontory Summit –
connection of the continental rail road.
·
Continental Divide
elevation 7,000 topped out 8,720 feet
·
OK broke 7 spokes in
less than 2 days = they do no road improvements.
·
In the delta the
trees dye the water to look like tea
·
Met up with a US
Astronaut crossing the same path to see the space shuttle go up
·
Big Cypress Park
happened upon a 2 foot iguana and lots of alligators which was just
beautiful
·
Fisherman’s Hospital
allowed him to stay for free for one night as a visitor
Reason to do this:
·
To engage people,
especially kids, our leaders of tomorrow, to know that they can make a
difference.
·
He’s spoken to over
18,000 students across the country up to 550 at a time
·
Subjects he covers
are:
·
Nutrition Exercise
What it means to be an athlete
·
Show the equipment
·
Know that it is
possible to do
·
Compare a bicep to
one’s heart muscle
·
Met local officials,
bicycle clubs, been recognized by state governments, media
FACTOIDS:
He averages 15 mph with towing 70 lbs
15 FLAT TIRES
LOST 21 POUNDS
SPENT OVER $11,000 - $3,000 FOR FOOD
BIKE WEIGHT 62 LBS
He can patch a tire 30 minutes
He can patch a tube 15 minutes
After a trip:
·
No interest in sex –
for months after a bike trip
·
Immune system is
hammered
·
Slowly recovered each
system
·
These trips have taken
an estimated 15 months off of his life span. There is a bell curve for runners at about 3 miles your
about at the top of the curve. After
that, you put stress and damage on your system. You have a lifespan and you will wear
out.
The road trip is very lonely and he’s usually always by
himself. So he prefers bicycling
the interstate highways where he can
get help.
Daily goals? There is a
set schedule to hit each day.
Local Rotary Club of Ventura, CA supports his effort
connecting him to 120 clubs along the route. The American Heart Association
sets up school visits and sometimes photo ops with politicians
He’s not into competitive racing.
Future plan: Mt Aconcagua climb (22,829ft/6,962m) Argentina.
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