10.24.2005. I woke in a dark room staring at the clock on the wall. It was 3:45 a.m. Disoriented, the facts of the past few days came into my mind. I suffered a heart attack and underwent triple coronary bypass surgery. In the following hours, I discovered I had had two additional surgeries and had been in a drug-induced coma for the past nine days.
My health was poor. I weighed almost 300 pounds. I was a sedentary person. The cardiac episode was a sign that I had to change my life. My father died at age 60 with the same lifestyle I was living. I committed to change.
I discovered a monumental shift in how I lived my life was not easy. I had successes but more failures. My barrier to better health was losing pounds. Obese people suffer more from diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and respiratory diseases. I underwent weight loss surgery in 2008.
East portal of the Paw Pae Tunnel on the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Trail
Weight loss surgery was a game-changer. I committed to being active from day one. The pounds came off. I became an active person. A year into my weight loss transformation, I was looking for an alternative to the treadmill. A Facebook post about a bike ride on the Towpath Trail caught my eye.
I lifted the dusty bike from the garage ceiling and pumped up the tires. The 8-mile ride was transformational. I found something I liked, something I loved. I began regularly cycling. My bariatric friends formed a casual bike meetup. It is now a casual cycling meetup for people of all abilities.
I discovered bicycle touring in 2011 when my pal Chuck and I cycled the trails from Pittsburgh to Washington D.C. When shuttling back home, I knew it was not my last bike tour. I have repeated that journey 5 times. I began touring on my bike for at least a week of my vacation time.
Ready to ride at Hotel Millersburg on my Ohio to Erie Trail Tour
I retired in 2017 with cycling and bike tours high on my to-do list. I retired to Central Ohio where trails are beautiful. I became a regular on the trails. I toured Hungary, Austria, the Check Republic, Germany, and Switzerland by bike. I wanted to be more involved in trails and make a difference in my community.
The Heart of Ohio Trail was my regular haunt. The trail was looking for volunteers and I became the treasurer of the friend’s group in 2018. I toured the Ohio to Erie Trai twice and found another trail to love. I joined Ohio to Erie Trail board of directors in 2019 and became the leader of the marketing team.
Today, I am the incoming president of the Ohio to Erie Trail Fund. What a journey this has been. I would have never fathomed on that groggy early morning of 10.24.2025 that I would be in this place. I never imagined myself as a cyclist, let alone a cyclist who tours the world by bike. I would have never envisioned leading a major trail organization.
If you get on a bike, you are a cyclist.
The above paragraphs are the background on how I came to be an advocate for trails, cycling, and touring by bike. I see myself as a person whose mission is to open the world of trails and cycling to everyone. If you get on a bike, you are a cyclist. Whether you cycle 5 or 100 miles; whether you wear a lycra kit or a T-shirt and casual shorts; whatever your age; whatever type or price of bike you ride, you are a cyclist.
I invite you to follow me if the above story resonates with you. I am a storyteller. I look forward to sharing my stories with you.
Tom on the trails