RICHMOND, Va. -- Richmond was the first stop on the 65-day journey across the country for the "Long Ride For Parkinson’s."
Organizers called it an effort to build community and raise funds for the Davis Phinney Foundation and the Michael J. Fox Foundation.
Each member of the four-person team has Parkinson’s and completes each leg of the 4,000-mile trip.
Parkinson’s is a progressive disease that deteriorates the nervous system.
The group that stopped in Richmond was made up of two individuals from the United States and two from Canada.
They started the stretch in Yorktown, Virginia on Wednesday and road the Capital Trail to Richmond.
Cyclist Steve Iseman said he was incredibly impressed by the trail.
He said doing challenges like these rides were the best medicine for the disease and that he felt most energized and alive.
Cyclist Bill Bucklew got emotional when he arrived in Richmond.
He expressed how he didn’t know if his body could handle it after a few bad weeks leading up to the trip.
The group hopes to get people with Parkinson's out of the shadows and connected.
"This ride isn't just about covering miles," Steve Iseman said. "It's about showing others living with Parkinson's that they can still lead active and meaningful lives and have fun while doing so.”
You can follow and supportthe riders' journeys here.
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