Alzheimer's is an illness with which George "Trip" Hussey III is quite familiar.
About two years before it took his grandfather's life, it began taking his mind. Hussey is honoring his grandfather's life through participation in the Ride to Remember for the Alzheimer's Association.
"The last two years of his life, he was afflicted with it," Hussey said. "So, I'm doing this because those are bad memories. It clouds all the good memories, and I'm doing this to remember the good memories and help a great cause."
The three-day bicycling ride will take Hussey from Simpsonville through to Newberry to Orangeburg to Charleston for a total of 252 miles.
"We stay in hotels along the way and end at Patriot's Point in Charleston," he said.
Hussey has been cycling for about two years. Previously into running, he switched to cycling due to pain in his hips.
"I got on the bike because of my hip problems," he said. "I love it. It's fun and it keeps me active."
It's his first time participating in "this type of ride," he said.
"I wanted to challenge myself; I wanted to ride across South Carolina at some point," Hussey said. "I saw the Ride to Remember on social media. This kind of thing means more to me, because, for one, it's with a group and safer, and two, because of my grandfather."
Hussey is also raising funds for the Alzheimer's Association through his participation in the ride. He is already 40 percent toward his $1,250 goal, one he hopes to surpass by the May 15 deadline for the July ride.
While also fundraising, Hussey is preparing for the ride by ramping up his weekly miles on his Specialized bicycle, which he calls "Breezy."
"I've been cycling about 100 miles each week as it is, but I now have to step that up," Hussey said Friday. "The final stretch in the Charleston and Mt. Pleasant area on the final day of the ride is 65 miles by itself. I've never done a three-day ride like this."
As of Friday, Hussey had at most biked 41 miles, which he did the previous Saturday.
"I went from my home in Manning down to Summerton and then over to the lake and then back to Summerton and then home," he said. "It can be hard to train because I work every day. But I do long weekend rides and go on a stationary bike each morning during the week. We also don't have a lot of hills around here, and there will be more hills throughout the state."
On the stationary bike, Hussey travels roughly 15 miles four mornings each week. Overall, he's put about 2,300 miles on Breezy, and hopes to utilize another bike for the Ride to Remember.
"I don't know if Breezy can hold up for those three days as much as I've ridden her," Hussey said. "The equipment can be very expensive, but what I'm looking at is on the bottom end of the spectrum. The bike I'm looking at is about $1,200."
Hussey said he will continue to cycle after the Ride to Remember. He "has a fantastic heart rate," he notes, and sees other positive effects on his health.
He will participate in the Ride to Remember July 15-17.
You may donate to his cause by visiting this link.
