There’s a good chance that while you’re reading this latest copy of the Insider, Derek and Dylan Thomson are riding their bikes. That’s because last Saturday, the Concord raised brothers embarked on a cross-country journey on their bicycles, carrying 60 or 70 pounds of supplies, to raise money for Concord High School Principal Gene Connolly. And since they plan to complete the 4,500-mile quest from San Francisco to Seabrook in 50 days or less, they’re basically going to be on their bikes all the time.
As of Monday, the brothers, Derek who recently graduated from Emerson College, and Dylan, a senior at Concord Christian, had already raised $4,866.
But before they left, we caught up with the Thomson’s to get low down on their summer excursion.
So we have to ask: What makes someone decide that riding a bike 4,500 miles, from the Pacific to the Atlantic, is a good idea?
Derek: It’s a once and a lifetime trip that my dad accomplished and I wanted to make the same journey. It’s a good story to tell and I get to see parts of the country I’ve never seen before.
Dylan: I didn’t want my brother to be alone and it was for a good cause.
We also heard that part of it is to raise money for the Connolly Tough fund to benefit Concord High Principal Gene Connolly’s family?
Derek: Yes, it’s a fundraiser to raise money for the Connolly Tough Fund and it goes directly to the Connolly family.
Why did you choose the Connolly Tough fund as your fundraising benefactor?
Derek: Mr. Connolly has done so much, not just for me, but for all students at Concord High. In doing this trip, I thought it would be a good way to give back to him.
What kind of impact did Connolly have on you when you were a student? What kind of memories do have of him?
Derek: He used to be the person who would oversee CHS Live, which are the morning announcements broadcasted at CHS. He allowed me to create videos and accommodate all the crazy requests that I had. I would have lunch in his office and he helped me get into Emerson College, the school that I had dreamed of going to.
Dylan: I was never a student, but I played sports there and he would come to most games. He gave us the push we needed to win the (Division I) soccer state championship. He was also always at the fence at football games to congratulate the players after every game.
How did you guys decide to do this adventure together?
Derek: We never really thought it could happen because I wanted to leave at the end of May and Dylan was supposed to graduate from high school at the end of June. Luckily, he was given approval to take his finals early and miss his graduation.
How much money are you hoping to raise?
Derek: On our website our goal is $20,000, but any amount would be good – we just want to help Mr. Connolly as much as possible.
What are you looking forward to most about riding across the country? What are you dreading?
Dylan: I’m looking forward to the sights we will see along the way. I am dreading the idea of not hitting our daily goals in terms of mileage.
Derek: I’m looking forward to seeing the 15 states that we will be riding through, and I think it will be cool to round that corner in Seabrook, see familiar faces and jump into the (Atlantic) ocean! I am dreading the idea of having mechanical issues.
What’s the longest bike ride you’ve done before this? And what has your training been like?
Derek: Our longest ride was 400 miles when we biked from Naples to Key West in Florida.
Dylan: As for training, we bike as much as we can during the week and go for longer stretches on the weekends.
What will a typical day look like on the road?
Derek: Wake up, pack up the tent, eat breakfast, determine our mileage for the day, bike, eat lunch, figure out where we will be camping, bike, eat dinner, set up camp and go to sleep.
Have any big plans to stop at any tourist areas/cities along the way?
Derek: Yes. San Francisco, Yosemite National Park, Death Valley, Vegas, Hoover Dam, Grand Canyon, Colorado Rockies, Mount Rushmore, Chicago and Niagra Falls.
What will you be doing for supplies? Where will you sleep?
Derek: We will be bringing a stash of food and water, camping gear, first aid kit and a bike repair kit.
Dylan: We will be sleeping in a tent at campgrounds along the way.
If people see this and want to donate, how can they do that?
Derek: Just log onto our website, cyclingtheusforals.com and click “donate.”
Will people be able to follow along with your journey through your website/social media?
Derek: Yes, we will update a blog on our website as often as possible. Our Facebook page is facebook.com/Cycling-The-US-For-ALS, our Instagram account is @cyclingtheusforals and our personal Instagram accounts are @d_thomson and @dylan.thomson._
