Peter Schmidt Cycles for Arthritis Foundation
July 14, 2008
Pedal pusher: 525 miles
to go
Maggie Downs
The Desert Sun
Training has been coming back
to Peter Schmidt like an old friend.
Dust had been gathering on
his 1984 red Ciocc bike. He hadn't been riding much during the past
year at all.
Then Schmidt, a 62-year-old
former triathlete, decided to make the 525-mile ride from San Francisco
to Santa Monica. He signed on for the Arthritis Foundation's Amgen California
Coast Classic Bicycle Tour, Sept. 20-27.
Now Schmidt is wheels to the
pavement by 5:30 a.m. His training rides take him between 20 to 30 miles
at a time.
From his home in Palm Desert,
Schmidt often rides out to La Quinta Cove through Indio and back again.
Sometimes he rides up Highway 74. Other times he takes long and quiet
rides through Thousand Palms.
"I love being outside,"
he says. "I love the feel of being on my bike and the smell and
taking in everything that goes by."
He'll do the same in September
when he pedals next to the rugged California coastline, past sunny beaches,
wineries, lighthouses and forests.
And he'll be wearing a custom-made
jersey, donated by Windermere Real Estate, where Schmidt is a local
Realtor.
This is his first time attempting
the challenge. Schmidt's nephew, who has done the ride a couple times
before, has been hounding him to do it for years.
"If there are any regrets,
it's that I didn't do this sooner," Schmidt says.
The money Schmidt raises through
this ride will go to the 46 million Americans suffering from arthritis
and related conditions.
"As someone who has logged thousands of bicycle miles, I consider myself one of the fortunate who is able to get out of bed in the morning and have the energy and strength to take on a challenge like this," Schmidt says. "Many people with arthritis are not so fortunate."
Peter Schmidt, 62, a Realtor with Windermere Real Estate in Rancho Mirage, will ride his bicycle from San Francisco to Santa Monica. (Richard Lui, The Desert Sun)
Give a little bit
- Donations to Peter Schmidt can be mailed, payable to The Arthritis Foundation, to Windermere Real Estate, 36-101 Bob Hope Drive, Suite F2, Rancho Mirage, 92270.
- Online donations may be made by going to californiacoastclassic.org and search for Peter Schmidt's name.
- His goal is to raise $3,500 by Sept. 7.
